Brian Williams

Brian Williams is anchor of NBC Nightly News. He is the 7th anchor ever of the 30 minute nightly news program.

History

Before Williams work as a broadcaster, he was an intern at the White House, during Jimmy Carter's administration. Later he became a corespondent for CBS's devision in Philadelphia. He later became the assistant administrator of the political action committee of the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington.

Williams joined NBC in 1993. He soon became a lead journalist for the network, covering nearly every major issue going on in the world. After his first year at the network he was named Chief White House correspondent for NBC News. This new job gave him many opportunities, including flying with the president on Air Force One and closely covering domestic and national issues. In 1996 he became anchor and managing editor of "The News with Brian Williams." The show was a 1 hour, live, newscast, which aired on MSNBC and CNBC. The show lasted 7 years.

In 2005, Williams relinquished the roll of anchor from former anchor, Tom Brokaw. NBC held its position as the largest and most watched nightly news network. As anchor Williams received praise for his reporting of Hurricane Katrina.

Controversy

Brian Williams has been scrutinized for a alleged liberal bias. Critics use past examples and statements to validate their point. After the terrorist attacks on 911, Williams stated that America’s “military swagger” was a reason for the attacks. Also, well covering operation Enduring Freedom, he remarked on the United States bombing campaign, comparing it to the United States bombing of Japan. The comparison brought criticism from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld who said, “I heard various commentators expansively comparing what's taking place in Iraq today to some of the more famous bombing campaigns of World War II. There is no comparison. The weapons that are being used today have a degree of precision that no one ever dream of in a prior conflict.”

Williams showed his support for liberal president Bill Clinton, when he said in a interview that, "He's[Clinton] perhaps the most intellectually and physically active person to have held the job in decades.I've also said that if Americans were paying Presidents by the thought, we're getting a bargain in this guy because, my God, he's just always moving, his brain's moving, he hardly sleeps.”

He also expressed his thoughts of conservative values after a January 2000 republican debate. Saying, “It’s red meat for conservatives, the positions rather strident tonight: anti-gay, pro-Jesus, and anti-abortion and no gray matter in between.”

In defense of charges of bias, Williams says that, "[ NBC News] have inordinate number of editors. Every word I write, before it goes on air, goes though all kinds of traps and filters, and its read by all kind of different people who point out bias."

Awards

Brian Willaims has received four Edward R. Murrow awards, five Emmy award, the duPont-Columbia University award and the George Foster Peabody award.

Facts

• He was the only and first nightly news anchor to report from New Orleans before the hurricane hit and later to report from the Superdome well the storm hit.

• Was a former volunteer firer fighter in New Jersey

• Member of the Council on Foreign Relations

• Appear's frequently on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Show with David Letterman.