Report: NBC DC Bureau ‘Strongly Opposed’ Return of Brian Williams

By Mark Joyella 

The Washington Post reports staffers at NBC News’ Washington bureau held a “contentious meeting” in February with NBC News president Deborah Turness and expressed opposition to the return of suspended “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams:

The meeting — details of which have not been made public before — was called after Williams’s six-month suspension from anchoring “NBC Nightly News,” the network’s signature newscast. Turness met with the division’s employees in New York and Washington to answer questions about the suspension and to get their feedback on the crisis enveloping the company.

One person who attended the Washington meeting described the overall tone as a “bloodbath” for Williams. But another news employee tempered that characterization, describing the atmosphere merely as “very raw” and colleagues as “shocked.” The individuals spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Advertisement

Speaking out against Williams were two NBC News correspondents, the Post reports.

Advertisement