Over the past several weeks or so, one of America’s legendary media stalwarts has come under unfair attack for minor and inconsequential lapses in memory about certain insignificant stories he reported upon.
The systematic and conspiratorial defamation of Bryan Williams has been a travesty – his six months suspension by the soulless corporate lemmings at NBC News a cowardly sham by people who couldn’t rewind Walter Cronkite’s microphone tether.
Like so many in this great nation, I have been outraged by the holier than thou arm-chair anchors who have besmirched the reputation of America’s greatest news voice since Edward R. Murrow.
Bryan Williams is a deity to the integrity and professionalism of journalism. He is an honorable and sincere reporter. And I should know, because I’ve been by Bryan Williams’ side since we attended Ludlow High School in the 70s.
I first met Bryan Williams in 1973. At the time, I was writing for The Panther, the newspaper for Ludlow High School and Bryan was our editor. Bryan was a few years older than the rest of us, but his writing collaboration on Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run album clearly showed he could do far more than simply edit a story about the weekly cafeteria menu.
When one of the freshman writers said he knew of a prostitution ring at the Presidential Motor Lodge in Ft Wright, Bryan went undercover and unveiled a story that eventually unseated the mayor of Cincinnati. The young man’s sincere and endearing humility was inspiring and captured everyone’s attention.
Anyway … Bryan and I remained close personal friends over the years. Performing Baba O’Riley with him on the Bob Braun 50/50 Club was one of the highlights of my youth. He was the best man in my fifth wedding.
Both of us eventually wandered into politics. Col. Ollie North may not feel the same way, but I never judged Bryan when he leaked internal information from the Reagan White House about the Contras to Congress. His motivation was beyond reproach.
It is hard for me to admit, but Bryan and I have not been quite as close over the past decade or so. I never expected he would take such offense at my criticism of his Dade County, Florida activities in the post-Bush-Gore election debacle. But then again, who ever expected one hanging chad which would eventually determine a president.
Still, when the editor of Rolling Stone recently asked me to advise them about similar unfair criticism surrounding an articles for which they were taking fire, Bryan was there for me with sage advice.
“Tell them to buck up and stick with what’s selling advertising,” Bryan said. “A year from now, no one will give a flying monkey’s eyebrow about who stretched the truth to sell the latest Ford product. Truth is in the eye of the schmuck who buys the new and improved Gillette razor.
“And I should know, because I’ll be hosting a late night show by then.”
Rick Robinson is a Northern Kentucky lawyer and author of political thrillers which can be purchased on Amazon and at book stores everywhere. His novel, Manifest Destiny, has won seven writing awards, including Best Fiction at the Paris Book Festival. His latest novel is Alligator Alley. This column first appeared on Rare and is reprinted with permission.
Just a fun question: Why is Brian Williams being crucified and Bill O’Reilly gets a free pass?
In April 2013, while discussing the Boston Marathon bombing on his show, O’Reilly shared a heroic tale of his exploits in the Falklands war:
“I was in a situation one time, in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands, where my photographer got run down and then hit his head and was bleeding from the ear on the concrete. And the army was chasing us. I had to make a decision. And I dragged him off, you know, but at the same time, I’m looking around and trying to do my job, but I figure I had to get this guy out of there because that was more important.”
Only he never mentions this in his books and he even during an interview with On Media. O’Reilly said that he “never claimed to have been on the Falkland Islands”.
So what’s up with this?