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A U.S. NEWS anchor has been facing criticism after retracting a story he told about facing gun fire while reporting on the war in Iraq.
Brian Williams, who fronts NBC’s Nightly News programme, had previously said that while reporting in Iraq in 2003 a helicopter he was travelling on was hit by RPG and AK47 fire.
Earlier this week, Mike O’Keeffe, an Army sergeant with the 159th Aviation Regiment that was involved in the incident, told Stars and Stripes magazine – a publication focused on the activity of the US Army – that the aircraft Williams was on was flying about an hour behind the three Chinook helicopters that came under fire.
O’Keefe decided to voice his side of the story after hearing Williams repeat the story on NBC coverage of a tribute to a retired Command Sergeant Major at a New York Rangers ice hockey game.
Williams later apologised on his Nightly News programme, saying:
I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago. It did not take long to hear from some brave men and women in the air crews who were also in that desert. I want to apologise.
“I said I was travelling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft,” he went on.
The hashtag ‘ChopperWhopper’ appeared on social media during the week with people discussing the implications of the story.
Speaking to Stars and Stripes magazine, Lance Reynolds – a flight engineer aboard one of the aircraft that was hit, said that the incident “was something personal for us that was kind of life-changing for me. I know how lucky I was to survive it.”
It felt like a personal experience that someone else wanted to participate in and didn’t deserve to participate in.
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Morto!
Slick apology all the same.
A mistake is forgetting to carry the 1 in long division. This is flat out fiction to boost ratings. Lets face it, the ‘news’ is just another TV show trying to be win and keep viewers.
Definitely a lie, he remembers being just 100ft of the ground. Trying to take the glory, how brave of him, would he still have lied if some young soldier had been killed that day.
Another example of mainstream media fiction.
The media machine is one of the greatest travesties of humanity. It doesn’t matter if it’s mainstream or not. Every single media outlet I have ever seen are propaganda merchants
At least with alternative media you get a lot closer to the truth.
Balls Gladys.
Big ones Weasel !
Nope Glen, with “alternative” media you’re just led further into cookooland. Do you think you’d see someone like Alex Jones apologizing for a lie (no matter how conceited)? Even acknowledging that they were wrong?
There’s a lot wrong with MSM but at least there’s a semblance of accountability if they’re called out on it. I hate Fox News as much as you do but you have to admit, the recent spate of public, on air, retractions has been satisfying.
The sad thing is that your ilk take the refusal to apologize as a sign that your “sources” are never wrong. Such a shame that sheep like you following blindly have forced the alternative news movement into the realm of illegitimate quack territory and any truth being reported gets lost in the conspiracy noise. If you could only learn to self reflect and admit you’re wrong once in a while or at least hold your masters to account every now and then.
The irony as you pontificate would be hilarious if it wasn’t so embarrassing. You’re CLEARLY a paid shill for the homeopathy industry. Now stop trolling.
By the way, did you and Frank go on that date he asked you out on via Twitter? I’d love to see the minutes of that meeting ;)
Dave
You sound like you really need a hug….. From a cactus!!
A “harrowing” sand storm. This man’s credibility is in bits. Why did he make up such a lie in the first place?
Never liked the guy, what a bullsh!!!er. Had to repeat the lie too, couldn’t keep his mouth shut. The military won’t have any time for him now, he can forget those assignments.
Wan%er
Caught rapid
Lying tw@t!!
The Internet itself feels more credible than mainstream media these days. Haven’t spent a cent on traditional media since I became an adult and I song plan to.
Seriously? The internet is great and all but there is an incredible amount of bullsh*t out there. Not saying the mainstream media is 100% credible, but I’d still believe stuff I see on BBC news quicker than if I saw it on reddit.
See people have expectations with the mainstream to be impartial and accurate. With the Internet each site holds certain expectations aswell but different all the same
He is a talented rapper that Brian Williams guy, so I forgive him this minor blip of mature recollection
Have you ever bought a salad only to take it home and discover its actually meat and 2 veg??
It was not an “error”. It was a lie.
You’re right Martin. This ought to lighen the mood :-)
Sure if I was a billionaire I could setup my own media and project the news to the world the way I want it told.
CNN aren’t trustworthy, as if it needed to be pointed out. They sex up the news repeatedly. Type cnn fake news into YouTube and enjoy page after page of made up war coverage.
Fox are worse.
He’s from NBC Nightly News.
Haha, my bad. Really don’t have anything to say about them other than they’re better at keeping the nose clean!
Its not a news stain its a television show
Oh for Godsake….so what…..its show business…..big deal…..so he coloured it in a bit to make it more interesting jeez…..bloody Journalists…..who belives them anyway….they all have an agenda and its our job to weed out the frills in every piece.
on more mature recollection……
Total and utter anchor
Telling the truth is mostly much more dangerous than lying.This very brave journalist must now fear for his life “.Top German journalist Udo Ulfkotte blows the whistle”. Since his book has been published ,sales of top German newspapers and political magazines have dropped dramatically
http://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2014/10/08/non-official-cover-respected-german-journalist-blows-whistle-on-how-the-cia-controls-the-media/
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