Will Brian Williams Survive?

As a fan of NBC News and having been interviewed in 2012 by Tom Brokaw, the Brian Williams controversy is painful to watch. Channel 9, the region’s top news station, is an NBC affiliate and all local news tends to be tied to the credibility of the national brand. The fate of Williams is of local interest and impact.

Anchors tend to have long careers.  Once a brand is created, networks want to protect them. Some of the NBC anchors I remember:

Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, 1956-1970
John Chancellor (David Brinkley), 1971-1982
Tom Brokaw (Roger Mudd), 1982-2004
Brian Williams, 2004-2015?
Ciruli Associates 2015

But today’s anti-establishment values, online opposition research techniques and 24-7 social media makes managing or surviving an attack on credibility very difficult. And, as opposed to entertainers or most politicians, credibility is Brian Williams’ main asset.