Ethics, Honesty, and Credibility

Lessons to be Learned From Brian Williams.

(Photo Courtesy NBC News)

By now you must be asking yourself, how could this happen? How could someone who builds a life on credibility and honesty find himself embroiled in such a mess. Is it true that NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams has shared stories about his life and experience that were not true?

The lessons to be learned are really quite profound, basic, and simple.

1. Never lie.

2. Never embellish.

3. Live by your values and ethics.

4. Did I say never lie and never embellish?

It doesn't matter whether you are a network anchor, President, teacher, or a truck driver, never lie, because your lies will catch up with you.

It's sad to see Brian Williams in this mess, but perhaps he has given us an important reminder.  

UPDATE: The most important read in the NBC Brian Williams story Maureen Dowd NYT http://nyti.ms/1Fjmnnq


UPDATE: NBC launches investigation of Brian Williams http://usat.ly/1DNa69I via @usatoday


UPDATE #2 http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/06/media/brian-williams-scandal/index.html
(Video below)

Read more at:

Stars and Stripes

More Questions Emerge About Brian Williams' Comment (NPR)
Money/CNN

Why TV Viewing May Change Forever!

Change is happening rapidly and a new demographic shift may be predicting the future. 

There's a very interesting story posted on PSFK.com about this shift and how it can affect the future of television programming. 

"In collaboration with the minds behind The Curve Report from NBCUniversal Content Innovation Agency, PSFK is investigating the future of video and how it is changing the face of television. Video has become much more than just something people experience in their living rooms or in the movie theater."

"According to data gathered in The Curve Report, “Three of the top five platforms on which Generation X and Y regularly watch videos—YouTube, Netflix, and Facebook—didn’t exist a decade ago; and 67% of 18- to 49-year-olds say that the way they watch video today is radically different from just a year ago.”The specifics of how, when and where people access their entertainment has dramatically changed. Not only is this shaking up the way traditional broadcast media is being delivered, but it’s also opening up the avenues for new innovators and producers to take shape.”

Source, The Curve Report

"Particularly over the past few years, this trend has been accelerating dramatically. A recent Nielsen study found that 38% of Americans ‘use or subscribe’ to Netflix, up from 31% last year, 18% use Hulu and 13% use Amazon Prime Instant Video. The study also found 88% of Netflix users reported watching three or more episodes of a TV show in a single day, and 45% said they watch original series that are created by various streaming services."

"It is apparent that the media landscape is rapidly shifting, but in order to make sense of these changes we must ask ourselves what’s next? What is this all building towards and how does it affect the future of video? As Jeff Wachtel, President and Chief Content Officer of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment stated, “Everybody is asking, ‘How do you define television?’ but I think the real question is ‘How do you define content?’ Content is a renewable resource. Content—great stories—survives and actually thrives across platform changes.” Looking ahead, the future of TV as a relevant platform will depend on how well producers adapt to this new idea of content."

Why NBC Blew It With the Olympics: What if we put Twitter on taped delay?

Social networks are a BUZZ all over America today because NBC is delaying the Olympic coverage. So why is that different that past Olympics? Social Media.

Today, we are receiving news and sports alerts about Olympic results, pictures and comments on Facebook and Twitter, and by the time the TV broadcasts come on, we already know what has happened. So where does this leave people engaged in social media? Not happy!

Social media has changed everything. The problem is that despite all of the great planning and coverage by NBC, they didn't anticipate and fully understand the power of real-time social media. We now live in a world where we expect to see and hear what we want, now, live, and in real time. Social media is real time. Therefore we expect to see the Olympic coverage now, in real time, not taped delay as in years past.

It's time for the broadcast and cable networks to "listen" and understand what social media is truly about. It's about real time news, real time collaboration, real time community.

My gosh, can you imagine if we put Twitter on taped delay?

(c) Joseph Barnes, www.Digital3000.net