NBC spat offers lessons on preparing clients for big interviews

Just landing an interview with an important figure is not enough to get a credibility boost. National news reporters are expected to ask tough questions, and do so without upsetting the interview subject or the handlers. It’s a tough needle to thread, but if they fail, the reporters risk getting pilloried on social media.

NBC’s Brian Williams, apparently all too aware of the potential criticism, purposefully strayed from a discussion with the Emanuel brothers—Hollywood mogul Ari, doctor and author Ezekiel, and Chicago Mayor Rahm—about Ezekiel’s new book, “Brothers Emanuel: A Memoir of an American Family” and broached edgier topics during an interview for last Friday’s “Rock Center” broadcast.

Ari Emanuel, who is usually described as a Hollywood super agent (he’s the inspiration for the Ari Gold character on HBO’s “Entourage”), reportedly said Williams was acting “like it was ‘Meet the Press.'”