On Friday's CBS This Morning, substitute co-host Jeff Glor introduced a report on the growing scandal surrounding NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams by proclaiming: "This morning, one of the biggest names in media is fighting for his reputation....On Wednesday, Williams said he was sorry for saying his helicopter in Iraq was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in 2003. That never happened. It's an account that has changed over the years."
Glor noted: "Very quickly Williams' tale was disputed by soldiers themselves....One of them was David Luke, a flight engineer, who says he took part in the mission." A soundbite played of Luke blasting Williams: "If somebody on the outside wants to embellish, you know, what they did or didn't do, we know what really happened."
Glor continued: "Attacks on Williams' credibility mounted. On Wednesday, he acknowledged an error."
The segment featured analysis from New York Times media editor Peter Lattman, who observed: "Brian Williams has done tons of reporting over the years about the military and he's actually taken a big role in veterans groups....And now members of the military are saying that they're really disappointed creates a very difficult situation."
Friday's Times had a front-page story on Williams.
Glor demonstrated how Williams embellished the story over the years after initially reporting it accurately in 2003: "But two years ago during an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Williams's account was different."
Another clip played of Lattman: "At his core, what Brian Williams is, is a journalist, and he's supposed to be reporting the truth. And now he's come out and said that for years he's been telling a story that was essentially false and that really deals a blow to his credibility before the viewing public."
Glor concluded the segment: "NBC News did not respond to our request for comment."
ABC's Good Morning America similarly ran a full story on the Williams controversy.
NBC's Today has so far refused to acknowledge the black eye for the network.
Here is a full transcript of the This Morning report:
7:12 AM ET
JEFF GLOR: This morning, one of the biggest names in media is fighting for his reputation. Brian Williams has anchored NBC's Nightly News broadcast for more than a decade. On Wednesday, Williams said he was sorry for saying his helicopter in Iraq was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in 2003. That never happened. It's an account that has changed over the years.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Anchor Apology; NBC's Brian Williams Fails To Silence Criticism]
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [RANGERS HOCKEY GAME ANNOUNCER]: Please welcome Command Sergeant Major Tim Turpack and Brian Williams.
GLOR: Last Friday night it was a tribute to a soldier who Brian Williams credits with saving his life during the invasion of Iraq.
BRIAN WILLIAMS: When the helicopter we were traveling in was forced down after being hit by an RPG. Our traveling NBC News team was rescued, surrounded, and kept alive by an armored mechanized platoon from the U.S. Army Third Infantry.
GLOR: Very quickly Williams' tale was disputed by soldiers themselves. Travis Tritten writes for the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
TRAVIS TRITTEN: We received a tip on a thread on Facebook. A lot of these guys had felt for years that NBC had been misrepresenting this story.
DAVID LUKE: This was the aircraft that I was assigned to.
GLOR: One of them was David Luke, a flight engineer, who says he took part in the mission.
LUKE: If somebody on the outside wants to embellish, you know, what they did or didn't do, we know what really happened.
GLOR: Attacks on Williams' credibility mounted. On Wednesday, he acknowledged an error.
WILLIAMS: I want to apologize. I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft.
GLOR: Peter Lattman is the media editor at the New York Times.
PETER LATTMAN: Brian Williams has done tons of reporting over the years about the military and he's actually taken a big role in veterans groups and charities that support veterans who are coming home from the wars. And now members of the military are saying that they're really disappointed creates a very difficult situation.
GLOR: This is how Williams originally reported the incident in 2003.
WILLIAMS: The Chinook ahead of us was almost blown out of the sky. That hole was made by a rocket propelled grenade.
GLOR: Williams told a similar story in a 2008 blog, writing, "The Chinook helicopter flying in front of ours...took an RPG to the rear rotor, as all four of our low-flying Chinooks took fire." But two years ago during an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Williams's account was different.
WILLIAMS: Two of our four helicopters were hit by ground fire, including the one I was in.
DAVID LETTERMAN: No kidding.
WILLIAMS: RPG and AK-47.
LATTMAN: At his core, what Brian Williams is, is a journalist, and he's supposed to be reporting the truth. And now he's come out and said that for years he's been telling a story that was essentially false and that really deals a blow to his credibility before the viewing public.
GLOR: NBC News did not respond to our request for comment.
