Brian Williams’ fabricated Iraq war story is already taking a toll on his broadcast’s credibility.
A poll this week from Rasmussen Reports found that 40 percent of Americans want Williams to resign. 25 percent aren’t sure, and 35 percent want him to stay. 40 percent are less likely to trust NBC’s reporting in general.
Republicans have taken a harsher view of the situation—58 percent say they’re less likely to trust NBC news, while only 25 percent of Democrats say the same. The margins remain about the same on the question of his resignation.
Despite the scandal, Williams remains one of the more popular and well-known men in TV news—43 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of him, while only 20 percent have a favorable view of CBS’s Scott Pelley. 33 percent now view Williams unfavorably–but 62 percent have no opinion at all on Pelley.
Nearly half of all Americans—49 percent—watch at least one evening news broadcast, at ABC, CBS, or NBC. TV still dominates political news, but by smaller and smaller margins. Trust in the news has also been falling—particularly among young people.
