Brian Williams’ move to MSNBC is skewered on social media
Brian Williams’ reassignment to MSNBC is getting a negative reaction on social media.
The move by NBC News to keep the disgraced veteran on staff was met with disdain on social media, as Twitter users skewered Williams and the network for not sacking him altogether.
After months of speculation over Brian Williams' fate at NBC, the network announced Thursday that the suspended "NBC Nightly News" anchor would return to television -- but to the network's cable channel, MSNBC, where he would handle breaking news -- and the move catalyzed harsh criticism on social media.
Reports of Williams' new role surfaced late Wednesday, with NBC making it official in a statement Thursday.
The reassignment is the latest turn in a rough several months for Williams, who was a principal anchor at MSNBC when it launched in 1994. The news anchor was suspended without pay from the broadcast network in early February following controversy over false statements in his reporting on details about an assignment in Iraq. The Internet kept an imaginary tally of his numerous embellishments.
The move by NBC to keep the disgraced veteran on staff was met with disdain on social media, as Twitter users skewered Williams and the network for not sacking him altogether.
Numerous memes landed online and several commenters weighed in on the fractured state of journalism. Williams was called a pathological liar and others eagerly mentioned him in the same breath as civil rights advocate Rachel Dolezal, who made headlines over identifying as African American, coupling them as a loathsome pair. Very few users were actually excited to see his return to television, though many were glad about Lester Holt's permanent appointment to the "Nightly News" anchor chair following Williams' departure.
Overall, though, Williams and NBC did not fare well at all.
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UPDATE
12:04 p.m.: This post has been updated with NBC's official announcement about Williams' new role and several new tweets.
This post was originally published at 9:09 a.m.
Follow me on Twitter @NardineSaad.
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