Gordon Forgey

Brian Williams is off the air as NBC’s nightly news anchor. At first, he said he would take off a few days when the scandal about his elaboration or fabrication of stories first hit. Then, NBC announced he was suspended for six months as doubts about him grew.

Williams has been accused of misrepresenting or at least embellishing news stories. The first questionable story was about being under enemy fire in Iraq. Then, his recollections about Hurricane Katrina came under scrutiny.

The network is investigating the incidents and much more.

Still, his trustworthiness has been brought into question. Trust is one element that is essential to journalists, whether lead anchor and editor or not.

Part of the problem may be that network news, once a world unto itself, has become more and more a vehicle for entertainment. News professionals have become stars and personalities, often promoting their own celebrity in situations far removed from serious news. Trying to be both journalist and entertainer is a delicate balancing act.

Still, journalists need to be believed, perhaps more than ever. Unvetted, unverified and unsubstantiated internet “news” flows constantly. Other so-called news is driven by specific agendas.

The nation needs responsible filters to cull the fact from the fiction. One of the most trusted and viewed of those filters is now accused of not being able to make the distinction between the two.

Trust is a rare commodity. It is no longer given freely. Earning it is a slow process, but its loss can be instantaneous.

In this case, more than Williams is the loser.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher