The Brian Williams scandal: Pushing for consequences while granting forgiveness
Graphic by Sammy Dewey, Graphic Designer
Abbi Webb, Assistant Editor
It has nearly been a month since the unpaid, six month suspension for Brian Williams was announced by NBC News president, Deborah Turness, but news outlets are still covering every aspect of the scandal they can dig up.
NBC former anchorman, Brian Williams, caught lying about multiple news coverage stories. Image from democracynow.com
Williams was the news anchor at NBC Nightly News until it was discovered in January that he had falsely reported events about his time in Iraq where he was reporting on the War in 2003.
Originally, Williams stated on-air that, while flying with a group of helicopters in Iraq, one of the helicopters was hit by a grenade.
Ten years later, on the David Letterman show, Williams stated that it was his helicopter that got hit by the grenade.
Last month, he told the story again on the Nightly News report and his fabrications were discovered.
After further investigation, Williams was also caught falsely reporting events during his time in Israel in 2006 as well as his coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
News outlets all over the country are still reporting on the former top news reporter and his undeniable loss of credibility.
How can one small lie cause so much talk?
NGU Mass Communication professor, Dr. Ecarma, believes that this is issue is a significant one because it is highly probably that Williams had been lying for a great portion of his career.
“The dramatic element for this and other stories, when Williams was a rising correspondent, was probably a big reason to his job and the successive promotions,” said Ecarma.
Ecarma also said that because Williams was the face of the most respectable part of NBC, he is deserving of a demotion.
“The consequences should be real and felt, or else NBC does really care about truth and facts and the Code of Ethics,” said Ecarma.
Ecarma said that Christians should be moved to permanently boycott the watching of NBC and temporarily boycotting the station’s sponsors. In addition, Ecarma said that Christian viewers should mail in their aversions to the station.
“The sinful nature of man should be highlighted, and the consequences of such a national unethical act should be felt by Williams, NBC News, and NBC,” Ecarma said.
Along with supporting the consequences for spreading false witness, Christians should also be practicing forgiveness.
Williams is an example of the fallen nature of man and, as Christians, we believe that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We believe that all are prone to downfall, whether it is public or private. In Williams’ case, his failure was heightened because of the spotlight that he was in.
As Christians, we know that forgiveness and grace is available to everybody who acknowledges Jesus as Lord and it is important that we pray for this scandal to gloriously reveal humanity’s need for a Savior rather than responding in disgust and condemnation.
