Outrage at NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams over his stories of stolen valor quickly turned to relentless ridicule of “Lyin’ Brian,” leading the newsman to cancel an appearance with David Letterman and suspend himself from the news “temporarily” until the storm blows over.
Was Brian Williams a victim of false memory? http://t.co/PoA0VdKfXw
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 10, 2015
A busy news week has seen most of us move on to other subjects, but the New York Times on Tuesday published a lengthy article asking if Williams is a victim of false memory. Consulting a number of researchers, professors, and published studies, the Times suggests that Williams’ account of being shot at by RPG fire, a “well-documented story, told differently many times by Mr. Williams, actually offers a compelling case study in how memories can change and shift dramatically over time.”
@nytimes is The New York Times trying to exonerate a liar?
— Dobs™ (@badlydrawndobs) February 10, 2015
https://twitter.com/Jimdandy26/status/565240074439507968
In other words, Williams very well might have thought he was telling the truth, relying on malleable memories that can “fade, shift and distort over time.”
So, is Williams actually the hapless victim in this misunderstood controversy?
@nytimes Seriously?
— TMason (@TMason74) February 10, 2015
@nytimes No.
— sullivan ballou (@sullivan_ballou) February 10, 2015
https://twitter.com/grabowski_peter/status/565239559660003328
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@nytimes no.
— IamSauerKraut (@ImpeachBDevos) February 10, 2015
@nytimes as someone who knows their way around a case of PTSD and has had a fair amount of helo rides. NO, sorry he's not misremembering
— Sènor (@drunkuncIedave) February 10, 2015
@nytimes Yes. And I remember when The New York Times seemed legit.
— mark rast (@photomarkrast) February 10, 2015
Like in Total Recall? @nytimes: Was Brian Williams a victim of false memory? pic.twitter.com/XdDiG6Geyk
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) February 10, 2015
@RubinReport @nytimes Don't go to Recall!. They mess with your mind.
— Brian Copeland (@yardsbkc) February 10, 2015
@nytimes No, he is just a liar.
— Sam Ridley (@sridley01) February 10, 2015
@nytimes can't even read this. Headline is just so stupid
— kitty (@mkbl) February 10, 2015
@nytimes No. Just false reporting.
— Sally Bedoya (@bedoyas) February 10, 2015
https://twitter.com/jazzpurist/status/565240072988278786
https://twitter.com/Seven_Oaks_/status/565242598051553283
@nytimes no, just the victim of self-aggrandizement
— Raj Sharma (@immlawyercanada) February 10, 2015
https://twitter.com/LisavetaRangel/status/565242091945881601
@nytimes He told the same lie for years, how many times can a person "misremember"?
— Tenay Johnson (@naespecial86) February 10, 2015
.@nytimes Yeah, I'll try this nugget if I get caught cheating on my wife: "Seriously, babe, I had a false memory that I was still single".
— I wanna be sedated (@The_Squibb) February 10, 2015
@nytimes Are people seriously considering this as a possibility? For God's sake people he lied. It's not complicated.
— Joe Vols (@THEjoevols) February 10, 2015
@nytimes And if BW is allowed to stay in his job, will he become a "survivor" of false memory? Or will we? #misrememberers
— Blue Jay (@cyanocristata) February 10, 2015
Whether Williams was lying or a victim of false memory, neither option gives us much confidence is seeing him back behind the anchor’s desk.
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