{"id":6737,"date":"2015-02-11T10:00:41","date_gmt":"2015-02-11T16:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.robertfeder.com\/?p=6737"},"modified":"2015-02-12T08:54:17","modified_gmt":"2015-02-12T14:54:17","slug":"collateral-damage-nbc-5-staffers-under-scrutiny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/2015\/02\/11\/collateral-damage-nbc-5-staffers-under-scrutiny\/","title":{"rendered":"Collateral damage: NBC 5 staffers under scrutiny"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"NBC<\/a>

<\/a> NBC Tower Chicago<\/p><\/div>\n

Employees of NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5<\/a>\u00a0have been ordered to review the network\u2019s 83-page manual on news guidelines in the wake of the Brian Williams scandal at NBC News.<\/p>\n

NBC 5 news staffers were told they have until Friday to acknowledge in writing that they have read NBCUniversal News Group Policies and Guidelines,<\/em> a massive tome that covers everything from accuracy and fairness in reporting to ownership of securities and insider trading.\u00a0\u201cIt is important that our staff and daily hires be up to date on NBC News Policies and Guidelines,\u201d NBC 5 news director Debra Juarez told employees Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\"Brian<\/a>

Brian Williams<\/p><\/div>\n

The latest edition was drafted last December \u2014 just two months before Williams was slapped with a six-month suspension<\/a> as top anchor at NBC News for exaggerating his role in a helicopter incident in Iraq.<\/p>\n

Defining accuracy as \u201censuring all of the facts are correct and presenting them in their proper context,\u201d the guidelines state: \u201cAccuracy and fairness are fundamental principles of journalism. As we routinely rely on information and pictures coming from other traditional and non-traditional sources, we must verify their accuracy and authenticity and ensure fairness, because we are responsible for everything we air or publish.\u201d<\/p>\n

In suspending Williams without pay, NBC News president Deborah Turness wrote: \u201cBrian misrepresented events which occurred while he was covering the Iraq War in 2003. It then became clear that on other occasions Brian had done the same while telling that story in other venues. This was wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian\u2019s position.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition, we have concerns about comments that occurred outside NBC News while Brian was talking about his experiences in the field. As Managing Editor and Anchor of Nightly News, Brian has a responsibility to be truthful and to uphold the high standards of the news division at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lester<\/a>

Lester Holt<\/p><\/div>\n

While Williams and his bosses contemplate the beleaguered anchorman\u2019s future, Lester Holt will continue to front \u201cNBC Nightly News\u201d for now. Holt\u2019s ascension from weekend anchor could become permanent if Williams does not return, as many have speculated.<\/p>\n

Chicago viewers may recall Holt from his 14-year run as news anchor at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2.<\/a> His hiring there in 1986 was part of a settlement with Operation PUSH that ended a 10-month black viewer boycott triggered by the demotion of Harry Porterfield, then the station\u2019s only black anchor. Holt left CBS 2 to join MSNBC in 2000.<\/p>\n

If Holt becomes Williams\u2019 permanent replacement, he would be the first African American solo anchor of a network evening newscast, Stephen Battaglio of the Los Angeles Times reported.<\/a> Max Robinson was the Chicago-based part of the anchor trio on \"ABC World News Tonight\" from 1978 to 1983, and Bernard Shaw, a Chicago native, was principal anchor for years on cable network CNN.<\/p>\n

Holt\u2019s son, Stefan Holt, co-anchors NBC 5\u2019s morning news with Zoraida Sambolin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Employees of NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5\u00a0have been ordered to review the network\u2019s 83-page manual on news guidelines in the wake of the Brian Williams scandal at NBC News. NBC 5 news staffers were told they have until Friday to acknowledge in writing that they have read NBCUniversal News Group Policies and Guidelines, a massive tome that... Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6737"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6737"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6749,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6737\/revisions\/6749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}