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The Daily Nightly began on May 31, 2005. As Brian wrote in his first post it aims to provide a narrative of the broadcast day and a window into the editorial process at NBC Nightly News. Brian weighs in every weekday and NBC News correspondents and producers post regularly.

Brian Williams became the seventh anchor and managing editor in the history of NBC Nightly News on December 2, 2004. Read his full biography.



We get letters...

Posted: Friday, November 30, 2007 4:18 PM by Sam Singal

By Brian Williams, Anchor and managing editor

We're going to make full use of viewer mail tonight -- and we went through a mountain of it to air tonight's representative sample.  Our weeklong series generated the most interesting responses (I've read just about all of them) and we also plan to have some fun with other things people have written to us.

It has been a day of meetings here in New York -- I finally insisted on escaping the building (nowhere to go, just generically "out") and was able to walk exactly 3 blocks down 5th Avenue before the sheer crush of people became too much.  From November 1 to January 2, I do most of my walking in the street -- as many New Yorkers do -- as the sidewalks are jammed with visitors who, shall we say gently, don't walk at quite the same pace. 

Back in the newsroom, we started carefully watching the hostage situation in New Hampshire...and news on a number of other fronts.

When we next see you on Monday, it will be from Seattle. In the meantime, have a great weekend, and please join us for tonight's broadcast.

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Comments

Brian:  Last week's series on black American women was most enlightening for this white male viewer.  I would like to see a similar series on black males as well.  It would be instructive to share some comparative data, e.g. the percent of white children born to single moms, percent of female/male students earning 4 year college degrees.  My suspicion is that long range trendlines for whites and blacks in this country may not be all that different.  Thanks for your great coverage and delivery of the news.

Dave Strutz, Saint Cloud, MN (Sent Tuesday, December 04, 2007 9:09 PM)

Gee, Brian. You sure don't make it easy to communicate with you--do you have the all so typical thin skin of a doctrinaire leftist?  I spent over 5 minutes finding this section on the NBC website.

I am writing about your segment tonight on the "news" (12/4) about the suprise female winners of the Siemens prize for science this year.

No, this is not because people think that females "don't like science" as was implied, it’s that high IQ and being very successful in science are highly correlated in favor of males. You may have missed that fact in college when you were being brainwashed to believe that this is gender bias.

In fact, what you reported, in the absence of discrimination against males, was an anomaly.  Over time, males will consistently outperform females in science at the highest levels, even if every Harvard president is fired for saying so (since you mentioned that EX- Harvard President Lawrence Summers had said this).

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you selected this story and slant on it as Chief Editor for NBC Nightly News, since you chose Mother Earth as your selection for Person of the Year in Time Magazine.  Pathetic, but oh so predictable.

Do you want to put your money where your mouth is?  I will bet you depreciating U.S. dollars on males continuing to overwhelming dominate this competition (given the qualification I mentioned above—after all your type still think you can change the world, or manipulate people’s perception of it, even though the 60’s are long gone).

Kent Backstrom, San Diego, CA (Sent Tuesday, December 04, 2007 9:45 PM)

Dear Brian,

Thank you again and the Daily Nightly cast and staff for a truly awesome and gutsy series on African-American women last week. As a Black man, I was very touched by the stories and the thoroughness of the reporting. In the future, I would love to see a similar series on Black men, but this was clearly some of the best reporting I've ever seen on our
very beautiful and strong sisters.

David Basey, New York City, NY (Sent Tuesday, December 04, 2007 10:47 PM)

Mr. Williams,

Was the Iraq War the result of "failed intelligence" or the result of cherry picked intelligence?  The MSM keep repeating the former over the latter.

Your broadcast of December 4 likwise repeated the same old trueism.  Another effort to exonerate Bush/Cheney?

Hubert Warford (Sent Wednesday, December 05, 2007 2:02 PM)

Brian, thank you AS ALWAYS for earning our choice of NBC over ABC and CBS every evening. And thanks AS ALWAYS to your correspondents and others involved. But does anyone at NBC realize how many millions of dollars worth of air time your jarring and all-too-frequent use of "AS ALWAYS" has always been taking since you took over? It has got to the point where I am dreading your slipping into Good Evening AS ALWAYS too.

Zahid Qureshi, Arkell, Ontario (Sent Wednesday, December 05, 2007 4:13 PM)

Brian,
Both Saddam Hussein and the president of Iran said that they were not building nuclear weapons....it seems like even when they tell the truth, we don't believe them.  Is that the way to build trust and influence?

Donna Ascalon, Bellingham, Wash. (Sent Wednesday, December 05, 2007 4:48 PM)

Brian,
I, too need to know about your ties. We watch you every night but tonight my husband mentioned several times how much he liked your tie.  Therefore I have to know where I can get one, as it's the Christmas season and he has never liked any article of clothing I have ever bought him.  

M Kradjian, Boston, MA (Sent Wednesday, December 05, 2007 6:51 PM)

Listened to your report on child obesity. But you never tell the cause. Is it because both parents work and have either too little time or too much money so they feed their kids fsst food or processed food that have lots of calories and carbs but little fiber? People need to know so if willing, they can correct the situation.  

George Gramling, Columbus, OH (Sent Wednesday, December 05, 2007 7:00 PM)

Brian,
I just watched the final story about the families of fallen soldiers getting together. I got really mad when they refer to the soldiers as being "killed in the war on terror." Then they turn around and say they were killed in Iraq. The invasion of Iraq has NOTHING to do with the war on terror. The media really needs to stop making these false cross connections between the two. Get it straight the INCASION OF IRAQ HAS NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH THE WAR ON TERROR. The war on terror is in Afganistan!!!!

Mike, St. Louis, MO (Sent Wednesday, December 05, 2007 7:09 PM)

Mr. Brian Williams,
I have been enjoying your evening broadcast since you took over. I, and my wife, truly enjoyed your Saturday Night Live appearance (the fireman was great). My only gripe is that you thank every location, or special story, reporter by finishing with “as always”.  Please, please, please, mix it up. Thanks.


As always,
Dave Eck

Dave Eck, New Oxford, PA (Sent Wednesday, December 05, 2007 7:59 PM)

Brian this might be a first so you might not be allowed to report it on the news but it's out there all over the websites.

CNN reports:

President Bush was told in August that Iran’s nuclear weapons program ‘may be suspended,’ the White House said Wednesday, which seemingly contradicts the account of the meeting given by Bush Tuesday.”

That's right the White House admits Bush lied big time to the Media/American people/foreign Leaders and the World.  Now our President is known as a liar and his word can't be trusted.

Jackie Rawlings Riverside California (Sent Wednesday, December 05, 2007 10:58 PM)

I notice that Bryan has dyed his hair - I'm sorry, but men who so obviously dye their hair just seem phony to me and I lose respect for them.  Don't you know that a gradual graying is sexy on men?  Not so for women tho.

Betty Phalen, Bonners Ferry, ID (Sent Wednesday, December 05, 2007 11:29 PM)

Brian Williams,
 If you were to die by some deranged killer who would you want the public to remember, the killer or you? It is incredibly INSENSITIVE to air the killer's name over and over while barely mentioning the victim's names of these senseless acts. Let's NOT give these kinds of killers what they want, instant fame. Let's do what Canada does and focus on the VICTIMS not the killer.

Esther Miller, Seattle WA (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 10:42 AM)

Please quit giving all the crazed gunmen out there who find it necessary to take innocent lives in their quest to die famously.  Give them a number based on how many shootings there have been during the year and do not give their name or show their face.  There are families of innocent victims who do not need to see the killers glorified in the media.  Only give the names of the victims, they are the only ones we care about.  Leave all the family history of the criminals up to the law enforcement investigators, we don't need or want to hear it.  It only encourages more deranged individuals to want to get their names in the news.

Lisa Hall, Summerville, South Carolina (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 10:51 AM)

Brian, I have never written on a net before. I do have a question to ask that maybe harsh. How many times will you and your network say and show this young shotter's name and picture? You are doing his request. I am so sorry for his family and their day in the press. If you are going to say and show his name and picture so many times, show and say the names of those he shot the same numbers of times.                                               I do want to wish you, your family and all your staff a very Merry Christmas. Thank you for your time.
"God Bless Us, Every one"   Jan Hartman

Jan Hartman, Colorado Springs, Colorado (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 11:05 AM)

It was with great pleasure that I heard Brian Williams describe the President's interpretation of the NIE on Iran as "head snapping spin."  The only words to describe it.  Unfortunately, recent history has demonstrated to the President that if he simply repeats a phrase often enough, the American people tend to believe it.  Thank you for trying to set the record straight.

Peggy Davis, Atlanta, Georgia (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 11:22 AM)

It was with great pleasure that I heard Brian Williams describe the President's interpretation of the NIE on Iran as "head snapping spin."  The only words to describe it.  Unfortunately, recent history has demonstrated to the President that if he simply repeats a phrase often enough, the American people tend to believe it.  Thank you for trying to set the record straight.

Peggy Davis, Atlanta, Georgia (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 11:23 AM)

Brian,

When are you and other journalist going to realize that you are part of the problem?  The coverage of the mall shooting in Omaha is a perfect example.  NBC and all the other networks and news outlets have given the shooter what he wanted, fifteen minutes of fame.  Of course the shooting is news, report it this way: today a gunman shot and killed eight people and himself in an Omaha shopping mall, in other news... Stop giving sick people the recognition they seek.

Robert Poimbeauf, Houston, TX (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 11:31 AM)

Hi! Why is the news media and others making such a big deal about Mit Romney being a Mormon? Nobody seemed to care that JFK was a Catholic. Democratic Senator Harry Reid is a Mormon as is our Senator Gordon Smith from Oregon. Don't we have more important issues to address. Brian, Did you really throw pennies out the window hahahaha? (Saturday Night Live) Cal Crowe, Florence, Oregon along the beautiful but windy coast

Cal Crowe, Florence, Oregon (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 11:55 AM)

The mall killer left a note stating that at least he would be famous. Should we make him famous, thereby sending the message to other would-be mass murderers that they too can become famous? At one time in ancient Athens there was a brief copy-cat epidemic of young women committing suicide. The city elders issued a decree that the body of any young woman who committed suicide would be displayed naked in the public square, and they followed through with it. The suicides stopped immediately. Sounds barbaric, but what if we treated the body of mass murderer-suicides similarly instead of turning them into anti-heroes?

Ed - San Diego - California (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 1:37 PM)

With all this talk about lead paint in toys, has anyone addressed the plastic dishes used by children?
All made in China - with Disney characters, etc.  Is there any harm in these?  Even the baby spoons I use are plastic, made in China and probably hazardous.  Wondering if these are high in lead as well.  Thank you!

Cheryl Brennan, Gilbertsville, PA (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 1:41 PM)

Liked the series you did on black women.  Also, the story about how young women are gaining in science education.  However, you are missing some important national developments that have a critical and profound impact on the U.S. Gains by women in science are basically among white women.  Real challenges are the increasing gap between educational attainment of Black and Latino males vs. women, especially white women.  You ought to look into this.  After all, Latinos are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the U.S.  Read the new Pew Hispanic Center report on Latinos and the 2008 election!

Roberto Haro, Larkspur, CA (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 2:46 PM)

Mr. Williams:
There is a wonderful new website that just went online that you may be interested in at Nightly News.  It is positive, informative, and full of helpful information.  It could be a good source for so many people who may be facing a separation or divorce. This would be about 50% of all marriages today.
Please check it out as I think it could benefit a lot of people.  It is divorce360.com.

Paula, Memphis, TN (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 5:21 PM)

a question about a teddy bear. why don't the muslims get upset when a person changes their name to muhhamed? like in the case of muhhamed ali the boxer. where was the outrage? there are others too, but why over a teddy bear? and why is it ok for them to critisize the jewish and cristian and buddahist faiths? a double standard perhaps? can anyone answer this question?

jim mangold,evans city,pa :( (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 5:34 PM)

Mr. Williams,
I have a question I saw Mitt Romney today and I would like to know what gives him the right to say that Jesus Christ is the son of G-D when he was Jewish and nobody knew aything about him till 50 years after his death and Chritianity didn't come abouttill 300 years after his death. Catholicism is only two thousand years old. Judaism is 6,000 years old.

David Smith (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 6:49 PM)

Mr. Williams,
I have a question I saw Mitt Romney today and I would like to know what gives him the right to say that Jesus Christ is the son of G-D when he was Jewish and nobody knew aything about him till 50 years after his death and Chritianity didn't come abouttill 300 years after his death. Catholicism is only two thousand years old. Judaism is 6,000 years old.

David Smith (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 6:49 PM)

Mr. Williams,
I have a question I saw Mitt Romney today and I would like to know what gives him the right to say that Jesus Christ is the son of G-D when he was Jewish and nobody knew aything about him till 50 years after his death and Chritianity didn't come abouttill 300 years after his death. Catholicism is only two thousand years old. Judaism is 6,000 years old.

David Smith (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 6:52 PM)

Brian you ask what makes a kid do the things like the shooting.Well when the schools and the goverment took the rights of raising your own kids it all started to fall apart you are no longer able to spank your children or you end up in jail, and if the kids get mad at you all they have to do is say I'll call 911 and tell them that you hit me and they are taught this in school. Plus they also took all the things out of school that teach the kids how to respect others.

Pauline Schotz (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 7:25 PM)

 I was told tonite that we could not send chridtmas cards to servicemen at Walter Reed Hospital. We have no names only a recovering serviceman. We are  Home extension   Wives Mothers and sisters of men that have or are serving. How can we get cards to these men for the holidays. Florene Allen

Florene Allen Brownstown, Illinois (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 7:27 PM)

Just a thought on the comment from Walter Reed Hospital issue of getting cards. I think that you should send a crew to show how many cards have been sent. It might do the soldiers well to know! I work in a hospital and feel that the hospital needs to reevaluate their policy. Ask the community to help with the problem of handling the cards and possibly allowing the soldiers to pick cards from the mail if they want. I feel they would appreciate it. Volunteers in the community would probably love the chance to help with this project.  I am sure that many people sent cards to soldiers to let them know how thankful they are for what they do for us. We need to allow them to see what has been done!!

lillian murphy (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 7:31 PM)

Brian
As a WWII Marine, your story on Nov. 6th on
the mailing of Christmas cards to veterans at REED
hosptal really upset me. If those cards can't be
belvered to our boys, why is there so much junk mail
delivered, without names, to our homes every day?
During WW2, if such a thing was mentioned, there
would be thosands of volenteers to get these cards
to our wounded men and women. what ever happened to
our patriotism in this country? This is not the
country we went to fight and get wounded for.

Dale Scoville Bloomington, MN (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 7:45 PM)

Mr. Williams, my husband is a soldier left behind by the military when he suffer strokes and therefore was no further use to them. He was not injured in combat as it were, but he was working in flooded areas of his home state. I feel for the combat injured but I find it hard to watch and have compassion for the US and the military when I know my husband gave all he could and was left with nothing. He would welcome cards and letters undeliverable to others just to know even a stranger cares enough to say thank you.He gave all he could for nearly 30 years. Now he has very little and has to live below the poverty line in disgrace. we never in our wildest dreams it would end up like this after all the promises made if he were to be injured the military would be there for him. They used him up and took a walk.

Karen Coe, Cutler,OH (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 7:49 PM)

In the news tonight, Tim Russert emphasized Romney's statement regarding religion and freedom.  So many people believe faith is religion.  We can have faith without having religion.  Religion is church.  Faith is belief.  Belief in America, belief in yourself.
That is what I got from his speech.  We must have faith to have total freedom whatever our faith is in.

Barbara Fearn, Vancouver, WA. (Sent Thursday, December 06, 2007 8:59 PM)

Brian:
Regarding Romney's recent speech, I'm not interested in candidates explaining their religion to me. I am interested in their commitment to the separation of church and state, a founding and necessary principal of this democracy.

Bill Vega, Corrales, New Mexico (Sent Friday, December 07, 2007 10:23 AM)

In the segment concerning the air traffic controllers and how stressed they may be, nothing was mentioned that the overtime that they put in is often at their own request.  The overtime helps put some of them over the 200,000 dollar per year government employee.

Max Halliburton, Arlington, Tx (Sent Friday, December 07, 2007 12:33 PM)

Presidents who followed Bush/Cheney's orders of crime are falling like flies. But today the one man who stood up and told the truth and even received harassment from the White House and the US has becomes famous.  The Iran President didn't look like he was going to be re elected in 2009 as the Iran people weren't going to vote for him. Then along came Bush who did every cruel thing he could against this man even lied to the World.  Then came the NIE report that showed Bush yet again lied to everyone. Now the Iran President is greeted like a Rock Star and will be re elected as President.  Who says Bush doesn't make people famous look we didn't know Bin Laden but Bush/Cheney have made him an international Name and hero to the Middle East.  Slowly the truth about who was really behind the 9/11 attack is coming out over seas in the Media.  Soon the full story will come to light and you can be sure the names of the US and Saudis are in it.  I do feel bad for the Military Families that still believe Bush/Cheney were telling the truth, when they have to deal with the fact they were lied to it will be one bad day.  
I do admit I don't blame the CIA for destroying the tapes as it would be shown as crimes against humanity and the UN would be all over it.  As the White House continues to do is destroy all evidence of the crimes committed and let the Staff use the memory lost defense as Dick Cheney is using too.

My Cal. State Rep. Calvert is looking for support for the billions the White House wants. I had to laugh as this man is under investigation for crimes and has already been charged and convicted for sex with a prostitute who was on drugs in a public place. You just can't make this stuff up. Don't worry it's all public record.

Jackie Rawlings Riverside California (Sent Friday, December 07, 2007 1:27 PM)

Dear Mr. Williams, I have been watching NBC and other news agencies cover the Omaha killings.  I think we, as a nation, are right to ask what caused this.  But, after so many of these senseless killings, maybe it's time we stopped obliging these demented people who use the pain and death of strangers to make themselves 'famous' (really infamous).  In the Omaha case the young man obviously knew he would be the subject of intense news coverage, he said he would be famous, and so he was right.  News agencies have rewarded him in exactly the way he wanted to be rewarded.  I don't believe that is the intention, but it is the result. And it encourages other damaged people to follow in his footsteps. There are obviously privacy issues that keep you from reporting on the current victims, but if instead of obsessing over the 'poor killer' you showed stories of the affects on past victims, then those who consider this path in the future will see strangers as human beings, rather than viewing them as no more than targets in a video game.  And maybe there will be fewer of these stories to cover in the future.

Joseph Hampton (Sent Friday, December 07, 2007 1:30 PM)


Re: The Mall shooting.
What I really want to know, living in metro NY, is what is the Step-Father doing with an AK-47 in the first place, and when is he (the step-father)going to be arrested for that? If I was a loved-one of a deceased, I'd have filed a criminal complaint already.
We're trying to control guns, and there's an AK-47 that was not secured enough???

Bill Kopp, Montclair, NJ (Sent Friday, December 07, 2007 1:47 PM)

Brian when my son was 4 years old he got caught with the evidence on his face, hands, hair and shirt. I asked him who did this he said Mr. I don't know. Now this is what President Bush is saying as he lies. We have heard Bush said he never knew about the New York Ports being brought by Dubi, the Katrina storm, the NIE report and now the destruction of the CIA tapes.  Who's running the White House and why does Bush call himself the Decider when he doesn't know who's making the decisions.  
The Attorney General is celebrating the 50th Anniversary for the Civil Rights Dept. yet it's been destroyed in the pass 7 years and continuing today to deny all Americans their Civil Rights. The Jena Six is now a reality that our pass has come back. Even Justice Clarence Thomas while he was the Head of EEO allowed thousands of crimes to be left untouched and left for limitations dates to run out so people couldn't get Justice.  We have no Justice System and I called the Attorney General to tell him so. I was 10 years old when I watched my family and others fight and die for the Rights other Americans are born with only to see the Bush Administration break it down to nothing.

Jackie Rawlings Riverside California (Sent Friday, December 07, 2007 4:24 PM)

I'm writing in reponse to your story about the Christmas cards sent to the recovering soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. I can't express my outrage that these cards are being kept from the soldiers. What is wrong with this government? Thousands of us just want the soldiers to know we haven't forgot them. Shame on whoever it is that is responsible this.

Linda, Minneapolis, MN (Sent Friday, December 07, 2007 10:37 PM)

Tom,
you really disappointed me in your abilities to moderated the debate. you took a stand and the world saw it.

tj, birmingham, al (Sent Wednesday, October 08, 2008 12:56 AM)



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