With the NBC Nightly News now available online free and in its entirety every night on MSNBC.com at 10 p.m. ET, Anchor Brian Williams joined Ron Reagan and Monica Crowley on Tuesday's 'Connected Coast-to-Coast' to discuss the new netcast and his 'Daily Nightly' blog.
Williams, who started blogging in May, admits he is still not a big computer techie.
"Most friends know me as a complete luddite who can not open or send an attachment from a computer," he laughed. "I've got to be honest, if my wife were here, she'd tell you she has to walk me through the paper clip thing and the clicking and dragging."
That said, he recognizes the importance of both the blog and the new netcast, explaining the genesis of the Nightly News now being available online.
"Frankly, that I was feeling awful that so many people would stop me anecdotally in airports and what have you, and say 'Look, we grew up with the newscast, we know you're there, we'd love to watch, but who can do that at 6:30 p.m. I'm on a business trip, I'm trying to raise two kids.' And so, these are the people that this is for," he said.
Williams said he doesn't view the netcast as something that could subtract from his television audience.
"I don't think this will take viewers away from that regular traditional first viewing at 6:30, Eastern Time as much as it will solve that frustration of people who just aren't in position or near a television or able to sit down and watch," he said.
Williams marveled at how the media world is evolving.
"Look at how my job description has changed," he said. "Suddenly, I'm writing everyday for this blog. Suddenly our broadcast is no longer aired just once and once everyday. Things are changing so quickly and it's very important that NBC News have their brand name on a flagship newscast. It's why we still do the evening newscast. I might add, that the big three split 30 million people between them a night still."
Williams the blogger said he views his work as a great way to reach out to the viewer.
"I think it's an augmentation. Here's why. Not everything is going to fit in the broadcast that we do. It's a half-hour, so the stuff we throw overboard everyday could fill an entire newscast," he said.
"It's very transparent and it's very conversational," Williams added. "I feel the need to tell folks, 'Well, last night, our lead story was the tornadoes in Indiana, and here's why we felt why on a Monday night, a Sunday morning event was the lead story.' ... (It's) that kind of thing you can't pause and explain on the air. So I think they augment what we do."
He added that the blogs he enjoys most are written by individuals with established reputations.
"I think it should be brand-name driven. If the blog is written by a prominent print journalist whose work you followed over the years, well that tells you something. That tells you that this byline, now this blog is something that you should be predisposed to believe and enjoy," he said.
"I think the same is true with a brand name like which people have been watching for decades now through seven different anchors over the years."
