I really respect Tom Brokaw, but I believe her over him.

[Bucky]

with all due respect to Andrea Mitchell, Rachel Maddow, Maria Shriver, and all the other women NBC News who admire Brokaw also for his integrity and his commitment to principled journalism, women like Linda Vester don't just make up stories about being sexually harassed by powerful men.

And just because a powerful, respectable man is a decent chap around you doesn't mean that he's not trying to leverage his power into gettin' some strange from someone else.

And here's what most sources won't tell you. And it's not like I have much power in my own life. But I have a reputation as one of the "good men", and on more than a few occasions I've been tempted to leverage my influence and sense of authority to getting a woman's attention. And there's times I have said outlandish things keep a promising conversation moving along.

This is what men do. It should not be excused even when the greatest guy in the world does it. I do not believe Tom Brokaw's denials. I very strongly believe his accusers. I think the 50 plus female colleagues who are writing letters of support for him are deluding themselves

[hlthe2b]

1. the very respected women defending him can only speak to their own experience...

though I do take their opinions to heart.

I recall having just tremendous respect and admiration for the late, elegant Peter Jennings. But, his behavior with women colleagues and underlings (no pun intended) were apparently legendary. Brokaw came through at the same time.

Vester did work for a time at Fox as well, so I understand why that has some wondering re: her motivations...But I certainly don't think that should have her accusations dismissed out of hand.

I guess we shall see. I can't say it would necessarily surprise me, though of course disappointing.

[oberliner]

13. Where did you hear that about Peter Jennings?

[hlthe2b]

14. He's been dead for 13 years, so I surely don't recall, but google and there is quite a bit on it.

[oberliner]

15. Google turns up nothing at all suggesting what you are claiming about Peter Jennings

Can you point me to an article?

[hlthe2b]

18. A decade and a half ago, it was quaintly referred to as "womanizing"

Given the amount of time since he died, there aren't a lot of recent articles, but there were some time ago.

TV insider tells all: Peter Jennings would ‘sleep with a tree if it had a skirt’
https://nypost.com/2015/08/08/peter-jennings-would-sleep-with-a-tree-if-it-had-a-skirt/


http://people.com/archive/peter-jennings-had-a-lot-of-miles-on-him-before-wife-kati-made-him-a-stay-at-home-vol-21-no-6/
When Kati Marton arrived in London in 1977 en route to her job in Germany as an ABC reporter, she was already wary of Peter Jennings, then the network’s dashing chief foreign correspondent. With his well-tailored trench coat and manicured, movie-star looks, the newsman had a solid reputation as a globe-trotting heartbreaker. “Everywhere I went for ABC, I met women with terrible Peter Jennings stories to tell,” says Marton, 35. “I didn’t want to be one of them.” <<-- these were the words of his third wife.


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32978663
That was no doubt a result of his extreme womanizing. This became public knowledge when Don Imus took some high caliber shots at him at the Radio/TV Correspondents Dinner in 1996. Jennings made a considerable contribution to American television journalism by being willing to tell all sides of a story. For instance ...

It was likewise discussed on Morning Joe last December or so after Halperin's dismissal but I'd heard it when he was still living. Video from that embedded segment is no longer archived it appears.
https://forums.tvnewstalk.net/index.php?threads/what-excarly-is-joe-scarborough-talking-about-concerning-peter-jennings.16453/
Forum description of that segment: https://forums.tvnewstalk.net/index.php?threads/what-excarly-is-joe-scarborough-talking-about-concerning-peter-jennings.16453/
It seems that Joe Scarborough is outing Peter Jennings as someone who created a culture of Sexual harassment at ABC and engaged in. that behavior and was an open secret at ABC but everyone looks the other way.

Joe is talking about some sort of alleged bad behavior about the late Peter Jennings like the whole world knows about it. Whether true or was not necessary for Joe to bring up Peter Jennings when not here to defend himself? This seems like one of those Inside the Industry Secrets that should have stayed that way.

Maybe someone can fill me in on what Joe is talking about. .Were any negative stories ever written about Peter workplace conduct or personal life? What is this thing Joe keeps alluding to?

According to Joe, everyone in the Industry knew about Peter. It was always "Just Peter being Peter Ha Ha!" and look the other way like nothing happened. according to Joe Mark Halperin acted the way he did at ABC becue Peter created that environment
#1
TVNewsJunkie15, Dec 1, 2017 Last edited: Dec 1, 2017

As stated, Jennings was always a favorite of mine, but had he been alive today with a very real change in attitudes toward workplace behavior, I suspect this would have been front and center.

[oberliner]

20. Thanks for the info

He was a favorite of mine as well, so this is disappointing.

[Proud liberal 80]

2. Why?

Just because she said so?
I am all for the metoo movement, but I fear the pendulum has swung where every man who is accused is guilty.

[whathehell]

7. Why not?

Just because he said he didn't?

[tavernier]

11. I don't think she would have noted it in her journals

and involve friends (who witnessed a bit of her words) many years ago, anticipating that someday she could set up an innocent guy. That doesn’t make sense.

[jimmy2.0]

28. People seem to be forgetting Due Process.

I certainly take the allegations seriously. But the presumption of innocence is a bedrock of an impartial legal system. Before anyone is punished for being a miscreant the prosecution has to prove the allegation is true.

[mythology]

30. What legal process is he being denied?

He isn't under threat from the legal system. My boss can fire me for all but a select few protected reasons. He could fire me for bringing the company bad publicity, he could fire me because he doesn't like my hair cut. There is no need for your boss to have proof beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed a crime to fire you. It can be because they think it's more likely than not that you did what you were accused of, it can be because you parked your car over the line in the parking lot.

[jimmy2.0]

32. I am referring to all of allegations in general.

While I may believe one person over another, what I think is irrelevant. Before anyone is punished for committing a crime they are guaranteed a trial by jury in which all facts can be examined to determine the legitimacy of the complaint. Habitual Sexual Harassment is a serious allegation with harsh repercussions, and rightfully so. Sexual Assault is a felony. I live in a "Right to Work State" which basically means that one can be fired for anything at any time without notice. So I hear you.

[uppityperson]

3. "This is what men do"? Harass and assault women? So he is lying? Because he's a man.

[Bucky]

5. I think if you read more carefully you'll see that's not what I said

I said men say outlandish things to pursue women they're interested in.

To go deeper I'm saying that for men with power the temptation to abuse their power to pursue women is greater.

And inevitably they will pursue women who are not interested. And how long they pursue and to what links can easily cross the line into harassment.

[OnDoutside]

4. As we've seen, media people know what's really going on within the

Industry, but no one calls it out. That 60 women are standing by Brokaw should give enough of an idea.... rumours would be out there, for decades in his case. I believe him.

[Bucky]

8. Perhaps he was not a Serial harasser

Maybe he just pursuit of these two women unsuccessfully. The fact that he rarely did it, or perhaps only did it for a short time in his 50s, doesn't really excuse his behavior.

The fact that he is not subject to rumors and whispers doesn't mean these two accusers are liars.

Sorry, but I'm going to remain consistent with the "I believe her" point of view.

[OnDoutside]

19. How can he ever assert his innocence so ? Despite the fact of all these women (from within the

industry) standing with Brokaw, there is something equally unjust in potentially destroying an innocent person's life. i'm sorry, but this is just the type of situation that is bringing an otherwise just MeToo movement in disrepute. Bill Maher was fortright about his on Friday re Franken.

[mythology]

31. Franken himself apogolized for how he treated women

If your best example of MeToo being brought into disrepute is a guy who admitted he mistreated women, I think they're safe.

The social barriers that prevent women from coming forward, the shame and violation that people feel when they are sexually harassed or mistreated, the social standing of the perpetrators means we need to take the claims of victims seriously. Maybe in some far flung future we will need to worry about the rush of lying women coming forward to claim all the riches of being a victim of sexual harassment. We sure aren't there yet.

[Snake Plissken]

6. I believe this is a blatant case of swift-boating

The sole purpose is to discredit anyone coming too close to the truth about the GOP's criminal enterprise.

It's a distraction

[Bucky]

9. I won't exclude that possibility

But the extraordinary claim of swift boating would require some evidence to come to light. I don't think it's sort of thing you can just assume.

[smirkymonkey]

25. So do I, and I'm a woman.

I don't know, but I just have an instinct about these things. Like Al Franken, he doesn't strike me as someone with bad intentions toward women.

[JI7]

29. Tom Brokaw isn't doing anything to get the truth of the GOP criminal enterprise

[manor321]

10. I believe him n/t

[oberliner]

12. Can you elaborate on that?

What do you mean when you say "on more than a few occasions I've been tempted to leverage my influence and sense of authority to getting a woman's attention" ?

You follow that up by saying "this is what men do" but I'm not sure I understand what you mean.

[Vinca]

16. I wasn't there so I don't know who to believe.

[Mosby]

17. I believe tom. nt

[Pathwalker]

21. I try not to ass*u*me. Saves on being wrong.

Not nearly enough evidence to make an informed conclusion at this time, IMO.

[DFW]

22. "Prove that 15 years ago, you were NOT guilty of sexual harassment"

Prove that you didn't hit on your mother in law at your wedding 25 years ago.

Asking someone to prove a negative places quite a burden on someone who has no possible way to defend himself, especially when confronted by accusers with an agenda for offenses said to have taken place decades ago. Though no fan of his Republican views, I say the burden of proof is on Brokaw's accusers, and I realize the potential inherent injustice in that, especially if there is any truth to the allegations. Not coming forward right away, no matter how heavily circumstances or the high position of the accused might weigh against that, makes such charges very difficult to substantiate.

So, prove to me you didn't think of an elephant all day. I want concrete evidence before dismissing the charges.

[pansypoo53219]

23. at least he was not a naked cad.

[Demsrule86]

24. I neither believe her nor him...I have no idea and have no interest in piling on.

[JoeOtterbein]

27. I believe HER.

Please Note the Period.