NEW YORK (AP) – After NBC’s decision to remove Brian Williams as “Nightly News” anchor and reassign him to MSNBC, the embattled news reader faces a quest to rebuild his credibility and dignity in a role that is a marked comedown from his old one.
Step No. 1 is Friday, when he faces old colleague Matt Lauer for an interview that will be aired on the “Today” show and “Nightly News.” It will be Williams’ first time speaking publicly since being suspended in February for telling tales about his reporting experiences.
Williams said “I’m sorry” Thursday in a statement issued by NBC. But there’s a big difference between a quote emailed to reporters and an interview expected to be seen by millions of viewers.
“He needs to acknowledge there’s been a great breach of trust, bordering on unforgivable,” said Frank Sesno, a former CNN Washington anchor and now a George Washington University professor. “He needs to discuss that openly. He needs to renounce any activities that go beyond doing the news if he wants to be viewed as a journalist.”
As anchor and managing editor of the top-rated “Nightly News,” Williams was arguably the most prominent television journalist in the country. NBC concluded, in a decision announced Thursday, that he was too damaged to fill that role anymore but said he deserved a second chance. He’ll get that at MSNBC beginning in August, returning him to the cable network where he once hosted an evening newscast.