Brian Williams Takes Self-Imposed Leave, Then Suspended From News Anchor Role

 © 2014 The Wired Word

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On January 30, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams recounted not for the first time, but for the first time on the news program, that in Iraq in 2003 he was on a military helicopter that sustained enemy fire and had to crash-land. Soon, however, some who had been on that mission started disputing Williams' account online, saying he was actually on a different helicopter. NBC launched an internal investigation.

Williams apologized on air on February 4 and, on February 7, announced his decision as managing editor of Nightly News to take himself off the program "for the next several days ... to allow us to adequately deal with this issue." He stated, "It has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions."

After the bulk of this lesson had been written, it was announced that NBC had decided to suspend Williams for six months without pay from both of his Nightly News roles. He has expressed remorse and says he is committed to regaining viewers' trust.

Related to this story are general questions about the reliability of human memory, as well as the psychology and dynamics of lying to improve one's status or reputation. 

New York Times columnist Tara Parker-Pope writes: "Numerous scientific studies show that memories can fade, shift and distort over time. Not only can our real memories become unwittingly altered and embellished, but entirely new false memories can be incorporated into our memory bank, embedded so deeply that we become convinced they are real and actually happened."

Others assert that people are tempted to lie about themselves to try to enhance their status. Kyle Smith writes in the New York Post: "What Williams' lie was about was what lies are always about: ... The term 'fish tale' does not mean you mistakenly tell people you caught a sickly 8-ounce catfish when actually you snagged a 95-pound monster marlin." 

More on this story can be found at these links: 

Brian Williams Leaving NBC News Anchor Desk "for the Next Several Days." MSN
Brian Williams Suspended for 6 Months Without Pay. CNY Central
Was Brian Williams a Victim of False Memory? New York Times
We Shouldn't Believe Williams' Lie Was an Innocent Mistake. New York Post

The Big Questions

1. There is a standard in journalism that a newsperson should report the news, not be the news. Was Williams' self-imposed leave of absence an effective first step toward resolving that issue in his case? Why or why not? Do you think the six-month suspension is an appropriate corrective or remedy for this form of dishonesty? If not, what do you think should happen?

2. Have you ever experienced a sermon, artistic performance, academic class, etc. where the presenter became more the focus than the message he or she was sharing? If so, how did you feel about it?

3. When does good storytelling (which might be part of a pastor's sermon, or a faith-sharing conversation you'd have with a friend) cross the line and become embellishment or even lying? When, if ever, is embellishment acceptable and appropriate? Do you agree with Kyle Smith, quoted under "In the News," about why people add untrue details to their personal experiences? What is the relationship between adding untrue details to a personal narrative and the humility to which God's people are called?

4. In what ways did Jesus direct people's focus beyond himself? In what ways did he direct people's focus toward himself?

5. In your experience and church tradition, do weddings and funerals tend to focus more on the human beings involved or on worship of God? Is it possible to effectively combine the two?

Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:

Mark 1:1, 14-15
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ... Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." (For context, read 1:1-20.)

The evangelist introduces his gospel with a clear indication that he understands the good news he is sharing to be inherently connected with Jesus the Messiah. Jesus, however, proclaims the good news "of God," announcing not "Here I am!" but that "the kingdom of God has come near."

Questions: How do Mark's definition of the good news and Jesus' definition of the good news relate to each other? Are they essentially the same? If not, how do they differ? If they are different, what might this mean for our lives as followers of Jesus? 

John 1:19-20, 29
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." ... The next day [John] saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'" (For context, read 1:19-34.)

John the Baptist was absolutely clear about his role in relation to Jesus: "He confessed ... 'I am not the Messiah'" (emphasis added).

Questions: In what sense was John's declaration a "confession"? What did he give up by turning people's focus from himself to Jesus? What did he gain? What do we give up and gain by directing people's focus past ourselves to God? Do you know anyone who does this well?

1 Corinthians 1:13-15
[Paul writes,] "... Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name." (For context, read 1:10-18.) 

In Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth, he tells that he has received word about division among the believers. Different factions have formed, each claiming to follow a particular teacher: Apollos, Cephas, Paul, Christ. Paul urges unity of mind and purpose instead. After all, he asks rhetorically, "Has Christ been divided?" (v. 13).

Questions: Many pastors love officiating at baptisms. Why would Paul say he is thankful that he baptized none of the Corinthians (except a few people he seems to remember as an afterthought -- and alas, no "backspace" key!)? What is meant by his question "Was Paul crucified for you?"–

2 Samuel 1:7-10
[The man said,] "When [King Saul] looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. I answered, 'Here sir.' And he said to me, 'Who are you?' I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.' He said to me, 'Come, stand over me and kill me; for convulsions have seized me, and yet my life still lingers.' So I stood over him, and killed him, for I knew that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord." (For context, read 1:1-15.) 

Here we read about a young Amalekite who is trying to ingratiate himself with the new king of Israel, David. The former king, Saul, had been David's enemy and had tried to kill David several times, although David has refused to do battle with or kill King Saul. We also know from the report in 1 Samuel 31 that, a few days prior to this, King Saul, seeing that he was about to be overrun by the enemy Philistines in battle, chose to kill himself rather than die at the hands of the enemy.

We aren't told much about the Amalekite. Perhaps he was an after-battle scavenger, stripping the fallen soldiers of their belongings. In any event, he takes the crown and bracelet from King Saul's body to give to David, and claims to have killed King Saul himself -- at Saul's request, of course. Perhaps he thought King David would be grateful for being rid of one of his enemies, although he was careful not to claim to be one of them. Just a little embellishment -- or maybe some "misremembering" -- to advance himself in the new king's eyes.

It didn't work, however. Instead, King David has the young Amalekite executed for daring to kill God’s anointed king. A little self-aggrandizement may seem like a good idea, but it often leads to problems later on -- even if, as in this case, it's not discovered to be a lie right away. 

Questions: What are some instances -- either in your own life or in the life of someone you know or have read about -- where the outcome of a lie was not at all what had been expected or hoped for? What are the dangers of lying? What are some benefits or seeming benefits? In what ways, if any, is "bearing false witness" in favor of oneself morally or ethically different from "bearing false witness against your neighbor"?

Exodus 4:10-13
But Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." Then the LORD said to him, "Who gives speech to mortals? ... Is it not I, the LORD? Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak." But he said, "O my Lord, please send someone else." (For context, read 3:9--4:17.)

The conversation above is between God and Moses at the burning bush. God says he has heard the cries of his people Israel in bondage to Egypt and plans to use Moses to lead them out of slavery. Immediately, Moses starts worrying and protesting: "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (3:11); "If I come to the Israelites ... and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" (3:13); "But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'" (4:1); and then finally the two questions quoted above.

To Moses' concerns God responds, "I will be with you" (3:12) and "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors ... has sent me to you'" (3:15). The Lord even gives Moses special miracles to perform as evidence that he is sent by God -- his staff becomes a snake and then reverts to being a staff; his hand becomes leprous and is then healed. But with Moses still fretful, God finally agrees to send his brother Aaron as his assistant. 

Questions: Where was Moses' focus when he thought about taking on the task God was giving him? How might his response have been different had he focused on God's power rather than on his own weakness? How would Moses' life have been different if God had opted to send Aaron instead of him rather than with him? Have you ever lost a priceless opportunity due to being more focused on your inability than on God's ability?

For Further Discussion

1. What do you think is meant by this quote attributed to Mark Twain: "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything"?

2. Have you ever remembered a particular event with great certainty, perhaps even vividly, which you later learned could not possibly have happened the way you recalled? How did you react to this discovery?

3. In Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, two tramps talk to pass the time as they wait for a man named Godot who never arrives. At one point Vladimir is talking about the thief on the cross who was saved: "How is it that of the four evangelists only one speaks of a thief being saved? The four of them were there -- or thereabouts -- and only one speaks of a thief being saved. ... One out of four. Of the other three, two don't mention any thieves at all and the third says that both of them abused [Jesus]." The character's point is that people always believe the account of the thief being saved. Why believe that evangelist more than the others? Is one of the evangelists lying? Misinformed? Misremembering? Or are the others just omitting information that they either didn't know about or didn't find necessary for their account?

4. Respond to this op-ed, written by David Brooks, which appeared in the New York Times February 10. We quote a few sentences here, but it's worth a full read: "There's something sad in Brian Williams's need to puff up his Iraq adventures and something barbaric in the public response. ... The barbaric part is the way we respond to scandal these days. When somebody violates a public trust, we try to purge and ostracize him. ... I ... think we'd all be better off if we reacted to these sorts of scandals in a different way. The civic fabric would be stronger if, instead of trying to sever relationships with those who have done wrong, we tried to repair them, if we tried forgiveness instead of exiling. ... [R]igorous forgiveness ... balances accountability with compassion."

Responding to the News

Give some thought to how you can share how God has touched your life without letting yourself become the main focus. What precautions might you take when speaking one-on-one with a friend? if sharing your testimony before a group? if writing a book?

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, as you in your earthly life always pointed people to your heavenly Father, as we share your good news with others, help us point beyond ourselves to you as our Savior, to God the Creator and to the life-giving Holy Spirit. Amen.