WASHINGTON — A longtime friend of suspended NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams says that he thinks the newsman fell victim to two temptation that prey on a lot of news anchors.
Mark Simone, a host on radio station WOR in New York, told 蜜桃视频app on Tuesday night that he 鈥渃an鈥檛 get inside [Williams鈥檥 mind,鈥� but says that in discussions with other TV-news people, Simone says, even the best anchors 鈥渆nvy those reporters out there in the field. They always wish they had those reporter chops.鈥�
He says Williams鈥� embellishments of the stories of his Iraq War experience that have gotten him into trouble weren鈥檛 necessary: 鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy who took chances.鈥� For all his exaggerations, Williams 鈥渨as in a helicopter in a war zone; he was flying over those Katyusha rockets; he was in Katrina. So there was no need to embellish anything. But that desire to be the really heroic reporter, I think that鈥檚 what happened.鈥�
He calls Williams 鈥淭he finest anchorman we鈥檝e had … in the 21st century,鈥� but also notes that Williams had in recent years stepped beyond the news into the world of celebrity, hosting 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� and appearing on programs such as 鈥淭he Tonight Show鈥� and 鈥淭he Daily Show.鈥�
Simone thinks that brush with fame 鈥済ot him into the embellishing business. Because that鈥檚 what you do when you鈥檙e a celebrity — the worst crime you can commit is to not be interesting enough. So when you go on those talk shows, you juice up the stories a little. So the celebrity in him was doing that. If you look at the reports he had done through the years, were all very honest on the same incidents. …
鈥淚n today鈥檚 world of 700 channels, maybe you have to do that.鈥�
The Iraq recollections may not be the end of Williams鈥� problems. Simone notes that Lester Holt, who has taken over for Williams since he announced last week that he was stepping down voluntarily in the wake of the revelations, said on the air that the network was looking into 鈥渟tories鈥� — plural — Williams told that weren鈥檛 holding up.
Simone adds that Richard Esposito is heading the NBC internal investigation of Williams, and Simone says that some of Williams鈥� other anecdotes are also 鈥渇alling apart,鈥� including the one about a gang attacking Williams in the hotel he was staying in while covering Hurricane Katrina.
鈥淪ix months is a long suspension,鈥� Simone says. 鈥淚鈥檝e never seen anyone come back from that.鈥�
Does he forgive him?
Simone thought a moment before responding, 鈥淯h, yeah.鈥�
He added, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you throw away all those years of anchoring the news, really being the best in the world, over just a couple of little things off the air. You can鈥檛 condone it, but there鈥檚 a mountain of great work he鈥檚 done through the years.鈥�
Still, as Williams鈥� friend, Simone says, 鈥淚 feel terrible about this. 鈥�
鈥淭he other Brian Williams, who I see off the air, is a wonderful guy who does a lot of work for charities, a lot of work for schools,鈥� generous with both his time and his money.
鈥淚 would try to give him a second chance.鈥�
