The Daily Nightly began on May 31, 2005. As Brian wrote in his first post it aims to provide a narrative of the broadcast day and a window into the editorial process at NBC Nightly News. Brian weighs in every weekday and NBC News correspondents and producers post regularly.
Brian Williams became the seventh anchor and managing editor in the history of NBC Nightly News on December 2, 2004. Read his full biography.
 |
|
 |
|
 |
advertisement
About the broadcast | Biographies
RSS is an easy way to get the news you want as it is updated even if you are not on MSNBC.com. More information about MSNBC.com's RSS feeds.
Podcasting brings you audio and video from each weekday broadcast on your iPod or other portable MP3 player anytime, anywhere. More information about MSNBC.com's podcasts.
Sign-up for our daily e-mail newsletter. It offers a preview of the stories and special reports featured on each weekday broadcast.
My day, at least editorially, started just after I'd chosen a spot on the couch for the 9:30 a.m. editorial daily planning meeting. I arrived early and was finishing up the newspapers when an e-mail came into my BlackBerry -- it was from a producer in our control room, watching the incoming feed from Iraq. The President was minutes away from what was billed to us as a "give and take...a back and forth" with soldiers on the ground in Iraq. The e-mail said they were rehearsing their answers to the President's questions. It went on to say they were receiving coaching from yet-unnamed government officials on HOW to deliver their lines once the President appeared.
We've all been party to media events and blatant photo ops. Members of the media have known full well when events in the past have been thoroughly scripted to bring about the desired response. While this kind of thing gets reported when germane, it's a given in political campaigns, just as it was a given during the series of town meetings this President held, the guests were invited and questions were at very minimum strongly encouraged by subject manner, if not outwardly planted. It's what the home team gets to do. It's part of politics and both parties have made it something of an art form. In this case, however, the advance billing and final execution were at odds. And what we witnessed -- the comments first rehearsed then repeated verbatim with minor deviations once the President entered the discussion -- was rather stunning to see on television, as viewers will see on our air tonight.
The story developed steam as the day wore on, and as more in the media realized what they'd just witnessed, and the White House briefing reflected it. Press Secretary Scott McClellan has since admitted to our own Kelly O'Donnell that he did NOT know the extent of the situation and how it played on television when he answered reporters' questions about it today from the podium. Beyond that, I'll let the reporting of Andrea Mitchell speak for itself on tonight's broadcast.
We also have solid reporting tonight on the run-up to the Iraq elections, the flooding here in the Northeast and the continued suffering in South Asia. And since the suffering continues in the South...two terrific bits of reporting on what people are doing for shelter having lost all in Katrina. For now, duty calls...off to a story conference, and we hope you can join us tonight.
Read more from Brian Williams 2005
EMAIL THIS
TRACKBACKS
Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451b0aa69e200d834243db153ef
Shocked, Just Shocked Network Reporters Hype “Staged” Bush Event with Troops Thursday's NBC Nightly News led, yes led, with how, as anchor Brian Williams put it, President Bush had that morning conducted “a staged event via satellite with ten U.S. soldiers and one Iraqi soldier in Iraq. “Today's encounter was b
Posted on Oct 13, 2005 10:02:15 PM at: NewsBusters.org
Tonight's promoted story
Just finished listening to your featured story above on our nightly news. Why do you alwasy insist on portraying the President in the worst possible light? More and more I believe that today's media is as much a threat to our country and its leadership as are the terrorists.
John P. Crumrine (Sent Oct 13, 2005 6:53:29 PM)
Rehearsals take place for many events. I don't see how this was news worthy, it seemed more like a gossip fest. I am very proud of our boys soldiers) working so hard here at home and abroad, but really, why would you highlight a story of such dissention? Your story wasn't even about the interview between our president and the soldiers in Iraq. How about a story of hope, of the American spirit.
Heather B., Springfield, Mo. (Sent Oct 13, 2005 6:49:03 PM)
Comments for this entry have been closed