“Making A Difference” May Become A Permanent Fixture On NBC Nightly News

It’s been a year! On Friday, Brian Williams will celebrate his first 365 days at the helm of NBC Nightly News. USAT’s Peter Johnson looks back, and takes note of the broadcast’s new series, “Making A Difference.” It “highlights positive stories, such as an optometrist who delivers glasses to Third World countries, or actress Maria Friedman battling breast cancer while continuing to star on Broadway.”

“Media outlets have traditionally aired or published such fare periodically, usually after gripes from viewers or readers that the news is all negative. Williams concedes that such complaints led to the series, but unlike other news outlets, he wants to keep the series a permanent fixture on Nightly News. “When I go through an airport, eight out of 10 comments are, ‘Why can’t you people do more good news?’ My answer is, ‘We can.'”

BW adds: “That’s the greatest thing about my job. I can be sitting on the couch with my wife on a Saturday morning and read a story or meet someone over the weekend or have an idea, and it can become TV.”

> On the Daily Nightly: EP John Reiss explains the “good news…”