‘I could not stand the way Brian was dressed’
Cory Bergman August 9th, 2006
Brian Williams spent two minutes at the end of tonight’s NBC Nightly News broadcast reading viewer email on a number of issues, not the least of which was the Iraq war. But the last one was the most memorable: “I like listening to Brian, but last night I actually switched to ABC News because I could not stand the way Brian was dressed. WHY does it have to be that way?” Williams responds, “Well, sir, you may force me to call that nice fellow over at ABC to see where he buys his stuff. Please, all of you, keep watching and please keep writing us.” Kudos to NBC News for investing that much time reading viewer email, especially the ones that are critical of the news organization’s coverage. Meanwhile, CBS News plans to add a segment called “Free Speech” with viewer commentary when Katie Couric debuts in September. It’s refreshing to see all this newfound transparency on the air, fueled by the openness of the internet.
11 Comments Add your own
1. Anonymous | August 9th, 2006 at 8:19 pm
I wouldn’t be so quick to credit the openness of the internet. This has as much to do with the heated competition NBC is facing than anything else. ABC and CBS have been also rans to NBC’s Nightly News offering for years. The landscape is changing and a good offense is always the best defense.
2. Nick Geidner | August 9th, 2006 at 8:45 pm
“Kudos to NBC News for investing that much time reading viewer email, especially the ones that are critical of the news organization’s coverage.”
Yet, the example you give is about William’s wardrobe.
1) Are NBC and CBS actually going to take relevant questions from the audience?
2) Isn’t this again just taking more time away from news that actually matters. For example, couldn’t the nets take a little more time covering the rise in opium production in Afghanistan or the crisis in Darfur or a countless number of other pressing stories that are being avoided?
Just a couple ideas. I think we should praise interactivity, but we should also strive for news that is operating in the public interest, convenience and necessity.
3. Cory | August 9th, 2006 at 8:53 pm
Yes, good point, I\’ll clarify in the post — Williams read 4 or 5 total emails, all but the last being very substantive.
4. Alyssa | August 10th, 2006 at 8:33 am
I wish they’d shown a picture of Brian’s outfit from the day before. I mean, what’s so objectionable about the clothing that male anchors wear? Did his tie have polka dots and not the usual striped pattern?
5. Bill | August 10th, 2006 at 9:44 am
The last time they did this a viewer had written in asking why they did not cover the war in Iraq more. Brian’s response was related to the fact that they are only a 30 min show and only have so much time. He explained that it is difficult to decide what will make the 30 min. After he was done reading the e-mail he went to a story about the Head On commercial.
6. Eric | August 10th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
C’mon! Brian Williams was named part of Vanity Fair magazine’s best dressed list!
7. ellen griswald | August 10th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
Brian is one of the best dressed men on TV, following in the footsteps of the late Peter Jennings. I read a short while ago Charlie only had 4 ties, so I wrote in and told him, based on his salary, if he doesn’t have time to get a few, new ties, I understand his wife Arlene just retired that maybe she would be able to pick him up a few new ones, as there are 5 broadcasts a week!!! Seeing he lives in NY, there shouldn’t be a shortage of stores that sell some nice ties!!!! My the fellows on ABC, that don’t have jobs as big as Charlie all wear some good looking ties.
8. Anonymous | August 10th, 2006 at 3:50 pm
I applaud stations that read viewer feedback (be it email or otherwise), but are they doing it just to provide cheap laughs (ie the clothing remark) or will they actually use these questions/comments in their stories, eg having a graphic with the viewer’s question, then angling the remainder of the story to help answer it? Surely the best (and free) kind of focus-group is the kind who just sends in an email comment without being prompted.
(Incidently, if our station read viewer comments, it’d be hillarious… Like the woman who called up to complain about our female anchor’s low-cut top.)
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