NBC's Williams Says Era Of Reticent News Coverage Ended With Katrina

[JABBS]

Despite shrinking audiences for the network newscasts, Brian Williams, the NBC anchor who succeeded Tom Brokaw and won plaudits for his coverage of the New Orleans floods, says they are "too important a franchise" to fade.

"When tragedy befalls the United States, when the event takes place that demands our attention, viewers come roaring back to the broadcast networks," he says. "It's the resources we can bring to bear on a crisis that sets us apart. We were able to operate in New Orleans in places where the federal government was not. We beat the first responders. We set the agenda during this particular event. We were witnesses, so we drove the story."

Williams says a long period of reticence by news organizations -- which he dubs "the 9/11 syndrome" -- ended with Hurricane Katrina.

-- From Howard Kurtz' "Media Notes" column, Washington Post, 9/26

***

This item first appeared at Journalists Against Bush's B.S.

[valerief]

1. My ass. Where were they on Saturday?????

[skooooo]

2. PROVE IT YOU WHORES!

[Downtown Hound]

3. Then I guess you're going to start giving

these massive anti-war demonstrations the coverage they deserve? No? Well come on back when you choose to really stop being a whore.

[Mr_Spock]

4. He was on Daily Show wasn't he?

I thought he was fairly hard on the administration for their poor response.

[JABBS]

8. yes and yes

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. DELUSIONS OF ADEQUACY STRIKE AGAIN! n/t

[democracyindanger]

6. I'll believe it when I see it.

Won't be holding my breath. Especially when the prediction is coming from Brian Williams, the "go-to network anchor" for Republicans.

And because I'm sure somebody will ask, this is what I'm talking about.

[leftchick]

7. oh really? Where the fuck was GE/MSRNC/NBC on Saturday???

Oh I had a wonderful experience being edited out of a local NBC DC affilliate's news report from camp Casey III on Friday. I was interviewed and then not included in the report, but a RW woman with a "son in Iraq" was given a full 2-3 minutes of pro-war BS. I was pissed! :grr:

[justiceischeap]

9. Though I wish they'd have had better coverage (or any at all)

of the protests, it's baby steps. I remember back two weeks ago when everyone was praising the MSM for their new found dedication to journalism and railing against the b* admin.

We don't all come out of the gate the way we'd all like. The MSM is never going to cover the news the way we want them to. I'm just happy they woke up and questioned the admin in regards to Katrina and hopefully, they'll continue asking the important questions. We have to keep telling them that speaking out against the war and the admin is profitable or they will go back to their old ways. It's all about what brings in the most viewers, hence the most money. We have to support them when they act as we want and take away our support when they don't and it all comes down to turning off the tv and not spending money on their advertisers during those times.

But of course, you all knew this already.

[Dr Fate]

10. So when does the TV media coverage of the DSM start?

Oh wait- that is old news- he means weather & Poseidon Adventure stories.

[Cha]

11. Wow! I didn't know they

had such a thing.."JOURNALISTS AGAINST bush's B.S."

That's one for my Address book!

I hope Brian Williams is right ..I know he showed me something I didn't know he had.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Bold idea: Media with a spine might lead to increased ratings!

After all, investigative journalism has its roots in newspaper circulation wars.

[annabanana]

13. Yeah? Well..... SHOW ME

They can talk all they like, but (as my grannie said) "The proof of the pudding is in the eating"

or, for the biblically inclined,

"By their fruits shall ye know them"

[Arugula Latte]

14. Four years post 9-11?

You think that's acceptable, Bri, even if it were true?

[AX10]

15. Plame, Rove, DSM, anti-war protests...

I'm not hearing much about them.

The media has not changed.

[Kahuna]

16. Prove it Brian!!! I hope you are tellling the truth.

nt

[hvn_nbr_2]

17. Reticence ends...for one day every five years

And it didn't start with 9/11. It started at least 25 years ago. Anyone else remember the "Teflon president" Raygun. He wasn't teflon; the media protected him. No matter how stupid he was (Trees are the main cause of air pollution.), they protected him. Then the way they banged on Clinton. It went completely over the top with Clinton, and it would have been hard to imagine getting any worse, but they found a way.

Now he says it's ended. I say, prove it for more than a day. I call bullshit.

[Eurobabe]

18. I've noticed they're back to whoring again too

It's so disheartening.

[indepat]

19. Whenever Williams' actions belie his words, may his pants catch on fire

[MasonJar]

20. I wish he were right, but I think it was a two week aberration.