It is a news anchor's responsibility to objectively report facts, which requires a certain degree
of trust between the journalist and the viewer.
When that trust is broken, it can destroy the credibility of an entire organization,
so it's no wonder that companies often take quick and permanent action when something
goes wrong.
Meanwhile, sometimes anchors can't succeed because the odds are stacked against them
in the first place.
Here's a look at what really destroyed these high-profile news anchors.
Brian Williams
NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams had the perfect blend of everyman likability and
professional integrity.
He was the George Clooney of network news.
That all changed in 2015, when he was exposed for lying about being in a helicopter that
was forced down after taking RPG fire in Iraq.
"Two of our four helicopters were hit, by ground fire, including the one I was in."
"No kidding!"
"RPG and AK47s."
That opened the floodgates, as a number of other exaggerated claims or outright lies
came to light regarding everything from his coverage of the fall of the Berlin wall to
his actions during Hurricane Katrina.
After an on-air apology, Williams was suspended, then eventually demoted to MSNBC's breaking
news anchor, a serious fall from grace for one of America's most famous news reporters.
"This was a bungled attempt by me to thank one special veteran, and by extension, our
brave military men and women…"
Rick Sanchez
When Daily Show host Jon Stewart made fun of CNN anchor Rick Sanchez, Sanchez didn't
take it too well.
During a SiriusXM interview with Pete Dominick, Sanchez called Stewart "a bigot" while literally
laughing at the idea that Stewart is a minority because he's Jewish.
Sanchez said, "I'm telling you that everyone who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a
lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart, and to imply that
somehow… the people in this country who are Jewish are an oppressed minority?
Yeah…I can't see someone not getting a job these days because they're Jewish."
CNN issued a terse statement: "Rick Sanchez is no longer with the company.
We thank Rick for his years of service and we wish him well."
He's since found a new job, working as a contributor to Fox News Latino.
Dan Rather
In 2004, 60 Minutes producer Mary Mapes brought a story to then-CBS Evening News anchor Dan
Rather about documents that suggested President George W. Bush may have received preferential
treatment regarding his service in the Texas Air National Guard.
However, after Rather aired the report, key sources recanted their statements to CBS News,
forcing the network to issue on an-air retraction and apology.
Since Rather was the face of the story, he took the brunt of the criticism.
Two months later, he resigned, claiming his decision was, quote, "not influenced by the
National Guard story."
For his part, Rather still thinks they got the story right.
"Do you believe, to this day, those documents?"
"I believed them at the time or I wouldn't have put them on.
I believed them ever since and I believe up to this day."
Keith Olbermann
After being canned from jobs at both ESPN and MSNBC, Keith Olbermann rebounded with
another job at Current TV, run by former Vice president Al Gore.
It seemed like a match made in heaven.
Except it turned out there's a reason Olbermann keeps parting ways with networks: because
according to Current TV, he's just super hard to work with.
They explained their decision with a statement that read in part, "Current was also founded
on the values of respect, openness, collegiality, and loyalty to our viewers.
Unfortunately these values are no longer reflected in our relationship with Keith Olbermann and
we have ended it."
Olbermann responded with an apology to his fans for his "lack of judgment" in signing
on to Current TV in the first place, then returned to ESPN… where he promptly got
fired again.
Yeesh!
Ann Curry
According to the book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV,
former Today show anchor Ann Curry was intentionally undermined and set up to fail by NBC in order
to allow Matt Lauer to take over the position.
It sounds crazy, but here's how the story goes.
When Meredith Vieira left the show in 2011, Curry's contract had a stipulation that said
she would be given the next shot as the host.
But the powers that be wanted Lauer.
So they gave Curry the job — only to sabotage things by creating such an uncomfortable working
environment that Curry eventually quit, allowing Lauer to get the job we wanted all along.
Not cool.
"And for all of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I'm sorry I couldn't carry the ball over that
finish line.
But man, I did try."
Bill O'Reilly and Eric Bolling
In 2017, longtime Fox News talking heads Bill O'Reilly and Eric Bolling were both dumped
after major harassment scandals.
Following a New York Times report in April of that year alleging O'Reilly had paid around
$13 million in secret settlements to five women, Fox News's parent company, 21st Century
Fox, issued a statement that said, "After a thorough and careful review of the allegations,
the company and Bill O'Reilly have agreed that Bill O'Reilly will not be returning to
the Fox News Channel."
Then in August, The Huffington Post published an expose claiming it had spoken with 12 women
who said Bolling had sent, quote, "an unsolicited photo via text message to at least two colleagues
at Fox Business and one colleague at Fox News."
Bolling went on the counterattack, denying the allegations and suing Huffington Post
reporter Yashar Ali . But after Fox News conducted their own internal investigation, Bolling
was out on the street.
Fox News issued a statement that said, in part, quote, "Bolling and Fox have agreed
to part ways amicably… we thank Eric for his 10 years of service to our loyal viewers
and wish him the best of luck."
Which is probably not the kind of news either O'Reilly or Bolling wanted to break.
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