Brian Williams Back From Haiti: ‘Astounded At Generosity Of Americans’

Mediaite: NBC had some of the big anchors there for the story with Ann Curry, Al Roker and more. What was the dynamic of that teamwork to cover all aspects of the story?

Williams: We’re all good friends. Kerry Sanders was the most experienced. He was doing math sitting in the tent one night and decided he had lived in Haiti for a year of his life. Al Roker volunteered, Ann Curry volunteered, I volunteered. It was a very easy division of labor.

“All of these tragedies you cover, I’ve always said to friends and family, you put it in a separate mental box and separate it from daily life.”

Mediaite: What is the thing you hope viewers take away most about the situation there?

Williams: It’s always tricky to be a journalist and then, even if it’s a good cause, is charity, to advocate for it. This is so gripping and so sad. I’m proud and astounded at the generosity of the American people. People do need to help. School kids are doing projects around country. I think everyone I know has given to this cause. It is just a surge of people helping, whatever way they can.

Mediaite: You’ve been to war zones, covered Katrina. What differentiates this story from other dangerous or tragic ones?

Williams: This was a story all its own. It is similar to other things. It is similar to Banda Aceh in the staggering numbers of dead. Similar to Katrina in the total paralysis left behind. It reminded me, in a way, when we arrived in Baghdad the night airport fell to the Americans, how we had to fend for ourselves to set up shop out of nothing. All of these tragedies you cover, I’ve always said to friends and family, you put in a separate mental box and separate it from your daily life. But they all have a common denominator – just surrounded by so much sadness and suffering.

Mediaite: Is there an image, or a moment that you will take away personally?

Williams: There are some that probably should stay down there. But I think the mass movement of people. You would go anywhere in Haiti and just see thousands of people living outdoors. People just generically moving during the day. It was terribly sad. The stereotype of the thousand yard stare – they had seen terrible things. Everyone in Haiti had suffered a loss.

(This was edited for length and clarity.)

Here’s one of Williams’ reports from Haiti:

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