BLACK JOURNALIST RAP BRIAN WILLIAMS ON DIVERSITY; TO MEET WITH NBC

BLACK JOURNALIST RAP BRIAN WILLIAMS ON DIVERSITY; TO MEET WITH NBC

The new NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams poses in the NBC news department in New York, prior to Tom Brokaw's last broadcast as that show's anchor, Wednesday. (AP/Richard Drew)

By Robert "Rob" Redding Jr.

Editor & Publisher

UPDATE: BRIAN WILLIAMS FLAP SPURS NBC VOW TO HIRE MORE BLACKS

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2004, 3:30 p.m. - A group of black journalists today assailed new NBC Nightly News host Brian Williams for saying the world has "bigger problems" than promoting diversity in newsrooms and has requested a meeting with network higher-ups.

"The National Association of Black Journalists [NABJ] is disappointed and dismayed about comments attributed to Brian Williams, the new beacon for NBC News, regarding newsroom diversity and aims to meet with NBC executives to discuss the matter, NABJ Vice President-Broadcast Barbara Ciara said today," reads a statement posted on NABJ.org.

NABJ President Herbert Lowe told ReddingNewsReview.com - which first reported Williams' comments on Dec. 1 - a meeting with NBC has been scheduled for Saturday.

"NBC has reached out to [Lowe] and NBC News President Neal Shapiro will be meeting with NABJ reps in the next few days," NBC spokeswoman Allison Gollust confirmed Thursday. "We are anxious to continue the dialogue on this important issue."

The statement was posted on NABJ's Web site after ReddingNewsReview.com reported that Williams told United Airline's November edition of Hemispheres magazine diversity was no big deal.

"We have bigger problems," the anchor told Hemispheres. "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."

Williams defended his comments through a spokeswoman: "I was merely expressing my belief that there are equally important leadership positions in our society than those we in the media may occupy. Since we report policy and do not decide it, our elected representatives are our first stop in the search for equality. Everything I've ever done in my professional life has been aimed at equality in the workplace, as those who've shared newsrooms with me will tell you."

His boss Shapiro added: "As the person in charge of hiring at NBC News, I'm very concerned with diversity at all levels, including our on-air reporting and our behind-the-scenes hires. I'm particularly proud of the distinguished journalists who are African American who have recently joined our ranks, including Kevin Corke, Rosalind Jordan and Michael Okwu, and of the promotion of Lester Holt to co-anchor at 'Weekend Today'."

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

An RTNDA spokeswoman declined to comment about Williams Monday.

The 45-year-old Williams began anchoring the most-watched newscast on television last week, after being hand selected by his retiring predecessor Tom Brokaw, 64.

UPDATE: BRIAN WILLIAMS FLAP SPURS NBC VOW TO HIRE MORE BLACKS

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