Brian Williams: America’s Anchor and Broadcast Journalism’s Honorary Trojan

Every year the University of Southern California bestows an honorary degree on a set of select individuals who have made a difference based on their achievements and contributions to USC and the world. For the current nominating cycle, there is at least one individual from the field of broadcast journalism who is worthy of this honor. Brian Williams is at the forefront of his profession as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the number one evening news program. His rise to the top of one of most competitive fields in the country is an achievement worthy of recognition. Moreover, his story of how he achieved his success mirrors the values of this university and will inspire its students. There is no question that Williams’s contributions to society as a journalist are exceptional and that he is worthy of USC’s highest honor. The university should acknowledge this fact by conferring upon him the Doctor of Humane Letters, a degree that celebrates the work of outstanding citizens.

According to the university’s website for Honorary Degrees, recipients are chosen based on the following four criteria: They have “distinguished themselves through extraordinary achievements” in their profession or various endeavors; they are alumni or other individuals who have made “outstanding contributions” to USC or their respective community; or they have made “exceptional acts of philanthropy” to the university and / or the nation or world. The final reason would be to honor an individual in order “to elevate the university in the eyes of the world” by acknowledging this person’s achievements in their respective field. Selecting Williams fulfills two of these expectations for granting an honorary degree because one, his achievements in the field of journalism are “extraordinary” and two, his presence on the USC stage would “elevate the university” and its journalism program in “the eyes of the world.”

USC requests that those who choose to nominate someone for an honorary degree address four questions in their reasoning. The first asks “What is the specific content of the nominee's contribution?” In less than two years at the anchor desk, Williams has brought so many important stories into the homes of Americans. Often these stories required him to get out of the anchor desk and so he did. Just weeks after succeeding Tom Brokaw on Nightly News in December of 2004, Williams left New York and went to South Asia to cover the tsunami that left hundreds of thousands dead. In 2005, he anchored from Rome to report on the death of Pope John Paul II. Later that year, he went to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. NBC’s coverage lead by Williams, garnered one of the highest honors in broadcasting, the Peabody Award. On the one-year anniversary of Katrina, Williams interviewed President Bush and discussed many issues including the War in Iraq. “Do you have any moments of doubt that we fought the wrong war?” Williams asked. The president began to explain why he “had no doubt” the war was not a mistake and said “we were attacked.” Williams interjected with “But those weren’t Iraqis.” The president agreed and continued on his point. Regardless of one’s view of the war, Williams proved his concern to get clear answers for his viewers even when face to face with the most powerful leader in the world.

The university also requests that the uniqueness of the nominee by addressed. The second question asks “What is original about that contribution?” which a nominator has identified as meriting an honorary degree. Network news anchors have been covering important stories for years and have made the evening news an institution in American society. One that many felt was coming to an end with the retirements of Dan Rather and Brokaw as well as the death of Peter Jennings. As the first to replace one of these three, Williams kept the newscast relevant. Today, we have a similar race for number one among the big three networks now that Katie Couric and Charles Gibson have taken the helm at CBS and ABC. In the time that Williams has led NBC, he has taken steps to make Nightly News his own. One such attempt is the broadcast’s regular feature, Making a Difference. At a time when there is so much conflict in the world, it is easy for viewers to complain about too much “bad” news on television. So Williams and the team at NBC launched this segment to highlight some of the “good” in society each week. Additionally, he has worked to make the program more current with the creation of its own blog, The Daily Nightly. It seeks to make the process behind putting together a newscast more transparent for the audience. Another sign of Williams embracing technology was the decision to have emails from viewers read frequently on the air. Sharing feedback from the audience would have been unheard of in prior incarnations of the evening news. In this case, however, it is one more example of Williams reaching out to viewers and trying to make his service to them even better.

The points made above, in part, address USC’s third question in selecting a nominee, “Of all possible contributors to the field of endeavor, why is this nominee of exceptional merit?” Again, Williams is the most watched evening news anchor and was the first of the current three to sit in that chair. What is perhaps more impressive and more significant is how he got to that position. Williams attended The George Washington University and The Catholic University of America but he never actually graduated from either institution or any college for that matter. In July, Williams gave the keynote address at the South Asian Journalists Association’s annual convention in New York. During the address, he explained why he dropped out. While in college he landed an internship with the White House. Williams realized that this opportunity was offering him much more than college and his instructors ever could. As it turns out, Williams had seen more of the White House than his instructor whose only experience with that building was the public tour. “To have come to class from the West Wing, what was I learning that my own book teaching wasn’t telling me?” Williams asked. Given his financial situation and the opportunities presented outside of college he left. “The meter was running and I was losing money and I quit,” he said to the SAJA audience. The journey that started as an intern and later would take him to a studio inside New York’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza is one of inspiration and “exceptional merit” that places Williams above all others in his field.

The final issue the university wishes any nominator to address, “Why is the field of the nominee especially appropriate to USC?” One can sum up the answer to this question in a word, “Annenberg.” That is to say, the Annenberg School for Communication, which gives out degrees in Williams’s field, as well as in disciplines directly related to the business he is in, each year. More specifically, the area of communication was one of the earliest majors at USC. The School of Journalism, now a part of the Annenberg School, was established in 1933 and was the first of its kind in the western United States. This subject has great history at the university and today is one of the strongest programs on campus. Michael Parks, the school’s director emphasizes this on the Annenberg website. “We have a passion for our profession and for the role we play in society,” he says. Every year, as journalism students graduate from USC, many begin their career with hopes of achieving the same success as Williams. Some may aspire to take his place or join that group of a select few who sit behind the anchor desk for a major broadcast network. Most will probably settle for half of the success that Williams has achieved. He is the kind of person who can actually impact the storied reputation of the journalism program at USC. Annenberg has been recognized as a leader in education and research when it comes to this field. This has benefited both journalism students as well as the entire university. Honoring Williams will guarantee USC’s continued presence as a leader in this area.

For journalism programs, connections between J-schools and industry leaders are pivotal to the advancement of the program. James O. Freedman makes this point in his book, Liberal Education and the Public Interest. The book devotes an entire chapter to “Conferring Honorary Degrees” where the former president of Dartmouth College explains that the process leads to the creation of a special relationship. “[Honorary Degrees] often forge enduring bonds of friendship and mutual regard between the college and the recipient. In the years that follow, honorands often are amendable to visits from students, becoming sources of summer jobs and career counseling, opening doors to professional opportunities, and providing personal encouragement” (130). This is by no means the rationale for why Williams should receive an honorary degree but the potential advantages are ones that any journalism program would dream of, including USC. Therefore it is worth mentioning that bestowing the university’s highest award to him would have many perks in addition to elevating the university and its journalism program in the eyes of those in the industry and the public in general.

It is clear that Williams has merit but his nomination would not come without controversy. The conferring of honorary degrees has become an elaborate process, demonstrated by USC’s need to give the annual tradition its own website. In the case of Williams, the university would have to look into the potential criticisms of him as a journalist as well as honorand. As a member of the mainstream media, Williams has been accused multiple times of having a political bias. Websites like NewsBusters from the conservative leaning Media Research Center have detailed a list of stories where they felt Williams was out of line. On the other side, the liberal leaning Media Matters has done the same. While the allegation of bias is serious, the fact that Williams receives hits from both sides suggests that he is probably doing a good job. Perhaps that is why he is the most popular evening news anchor and therefore USC should not worry about the issue. As for the other concern, Williams’s lack of a college degree, careful consideration of his unique story will not only excuse him of this but confirm that he is the right choice for the university.

Support for Williams can be found in writings about the state of the working world. Mike W. Martin discusses some of the moral issues professionals deal with in his book Meaningful Work: Rethinking Professional Ethics. Part of his book tries to examine the motives that people have in finding a career. He believes that society today is “guided primarily by economic and self-interested values” (12). Martin goes on to say that these “individuals benefit the wider community without intending, trying, or even wanting to do so” (12). The professionals described here are the ones universities must try and avoid when selecting commencement speakers. Williams’s career has proven that he is not this kind of person. Journalists who have had beginnings such as he could not have wanted to enter that profession if not to benefit others as the advantages for young and new journalists are next to none. Moreover, the newscast Williams anchors is not as glamorous as it once was and the stories covered by that broadcast can only give him satisfaction if he knows he is informing and helping others.

The case for Williams is strengthened by Freedman’s discussion of the significance bestowing an honorary degree has on the community. “A university makes an explicit statement to its students and the world about the qualities of character and attainment it admires most” (117) he says. USC has a special section on its website where it states what qualities it values most. “The central mission of the University of Southern California is the development of human beings and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit,” the website says. What the university goes on to say in its Role and Mission establishes the relevance of Williams as a speaker for USC, “The principal means by which our mission is accomplished are teaching, research, artistic creation, professional practice and selected forms of public service.” The key word in that sentence is “professional,” other universities may frown on that type of education but USC celebrates it.

The Annenberg School is just one of 17 academic units on campus that are deemed “professional schools.” These programs embrace the experts in the disciplines they teach by asking them to work with their students based on their experiences regardless of whether they have had training to be an instructor. USC’s many professional schools have adjunct faculty who are current and former journalists, filmmakers, engineers, musicians, consultants, and actors who succeeded in their crafts but may not have received formal guidance in education. To the university, their expertise and love for students is enough to convince USC that they are the right people for the job. In some cases, even full-time faculty match the description of instructors mentioned above. As far as the university is concerned, what is on paper is not as important as what one is capable of. The presentation of an honorary degree to Williams would be a small gesture of this, reminding the faculty of their significance as a vital piece of the USC experience.

One last person who might shed light on why Williams is the perfect commencement speaker is Tommy Trojan. Standing tall and proud in the center of campus, on his side are the five qualities of a Trojan: Faithful, Skillful, Scholarly, Courageous and Ambitious. It is safe to say that Williams has all these traits including that last one. His accomplishments will offer inspiration to USC graduates who plan to enter a field, like him, where the odds of great success are against them. “Here I am with this dream as a little kid fixed on getting someday one of three jobs in the world.” Williams said in his address at the SAJA convention this summer. As someone who started from humble beginnings as a volunteer firefighter, he explains how his journey to get one of those three jobs could only be done in America. “Now I have one of them, where else is that going to happen to a fireman, college drop,” he said. These observations on his career will transcend beyond journalism into others disciplines like theatre, business, film, medicine, and the arts. This is evident in his response to the question of how he obtained his success. His answer embodies the spirit of a Trojan. “There is nothing more powerful than a person who wants something, more than anything else,” he concluded. So in keeping with the university’s requirements for nominations here is a citation that will hopefully be read by President Steven B. Sample in the near future: “For his outstanding contributions to the field of journalism and dedication to informing this nation, USC bestows its highest award to Brian Williams.”