Attkisson on Williams: Anchors Surrounded by ‘Yes-Men’ Who Won’t Tell Them Hard Truths

KURTZ A lot of ░░░░░░░░ have been responding online ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t really ░░░░░░░░ whether he s in ░░░░░░░░ chair or not because ░░░░░░░░ are basically news readers ░░░░░░░░ he also has an ░░░░░░░░ title of managing editor ░░░░░░░░ This may be one ░░░░░░░░ to take a look ░░░░░░░░ this trend in which ░░░░░░░░ network evening news anchors ░░░░░░░░ also given the title ░░░░░░░░ managing editor Does that ░░░░░░░░ in cases where there ░░░░░░░░ controversies that they are ░░░░░░░░ from sort of an ░░░░░░░░ look or viewpoint of ░░░░░░░░ who could say to ░░░░░░░░ Should you be doing ░░░░░░░░ Asking questions Versus when ░░░░░░░░ re in charge I ░░░░░░░░ tell you these network ░░░░░░░░ are surrounded sometimes by ░░░░░░░░ we call yes men ░░░░░░░░ people who won t ░░░░░░░░ them the hard truths ░░░░░░░░ raise questions because they ░░░░░░░░ essence in charge of ░░░░░░░░ show in charge of ░░░░░░░░ personnel Who wants to ░░░░░░░░ emperor that he s ░░░░░░░░ no clothes KURTZ Titles ░░░░░░░░ you have an anchor ░░░░░░░░ Brian Williams making more ░░░░░░░░ 10 million a year ░░░░░░░░ is the franchise People ░░░░░░░░ it about the president ░░░░░░░░ being in a bubble ░░░░░░░░ by people telling you ░░░░░░░░ great you are So ░░░░░░░░ the business about NBC ░░░░░░░░ conducting an internal investigation ░░░░░░░░ gathering facts but a ░░░░░░░░ of people might say ░░░░░░░░ not have an outside ░░░░░░░░ or investigator look into ░░░░░░░░ and it comes back ░░░░░░░░ what you re saying ░░░░░░░░ have the guy who ░░░░░░░░ the an anchor the ░░░░░░░░ editor the celebrity the ░░░░░░░░ fo your news division ░░░░░░░░ are you on the ░░░░░░░░ it s hard to ░░░░░░░░ that person on whether ░░░░░░░░ re right or not ░░░░░░░░ And people are laying ░░░░░░░░ on to whether that ░░░░░░░░ survives And if that ░░░░░░░░ controversy those under him ░░░░░░░░ t want to be ░░░░░░░░ the wrong side and ░░░░░░░░ punished for that later ░░░░░░░░ agree about the independent ░░░░░░░░ Perhaps if I were ░░░░░░░░ charge I would think ░░░░░░░░ bringing somebody in like ░░░░░░░░ Poynter Institute or ask ░░░░░░░░ news organization to come ░░░░░░░░ and help But then ░░░░░░░░ are stuck You ve ░░░░░░░░ and outsider to come ░░░░░░░░ and look at your ░░░░░░░░ And if they find ░░░░░░░░ embarrassing or damaging there ░░░░░░░░ not much you can ░░░░░░░░ about it KURTZ I ░░░░░░░░ say too bad At ░░░░░░░░ you re showing that ░░░░░░░░ ll be open that ░░░░░░░░ re letting somebody who ░░░░░░░░ an independent judgment investigate ░░░░░░░░ let the chips fall ░░░░░░░░ they may People forget ░░░░░░░░ Dan Rather in 2004 ░░░░░░░░ the retraction of the ░░░░░░░░ about President Bush and ░░░░░░░░ National Guard it was ░░░░░░░░ months until he lost ░░░░░░░░ job but CBS brought ░░░░░░░░ two outside people.”