Brian Williams, Tom Brokaw's successor, says diversity not a big issue

Brian Williams, Tom Brokaw's successor, says diversity not a big issue

By Robert "Rob" Redding Jr.

Editor & Publisher

Update: BLACK JOURNALIST RAP WILLIAMS ON DIVERSITY; TO MEET WITH NBC

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2004, 8:45 a.m. - Incoming NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, who replaces the retiring Tom Brokaw, does not see newsroom diversity as a priority.

"We have bigger problems," the 45-year-old anchor told United Airline's Hemispheres magazine. "There are no black members of the U.S. Senate. We should keep some perspective on this. Nevertheless, I am constantly interested to hear of examples in our coverage where viewers think we got it wrong in one way or another because of a skewed viewpoint."

The comments come after the Radio-Television News Directors Association found in a 2003 survey that women and minority staffing in local radio and television newsrooms has declined for the last two years.

Williams is 64-year-old Brokaw's handpicked successor to host the most-watched newscast on television starting tonight.

Update: BLACK JOURNALIST RAP WILLIAMS ON DIVERSITY; TO MEET WITH NBC

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