Ronn Torossian Commentary On Matt Lauer Firing

Photo source: Twitter

Wednesday morning, NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie shocked countless people when she announced that Matt Lauer had been immediately fired after an employee complaint about “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” The news rocked one of the most storied and long-running morning news programs of all time. Lauer was more than a constant media presence, he was, in many ways, the face of the news agency, and had been for decades. Even more than Bill O’Reilly at Fox and Charlie Rose at CBS, Lauer’s direct connection with NBC was unilateral. If something big was happening at the network, especially in the morning, there was no question who was going to be on your TV. It was Lauer.

One of the first questions that was asked after, did he really do it, was, how could only one nonspecific accusation in more than 20 years kill his career? Turns out, there was more about to hit the press, and NBC appeared trying to get out ahead of the story.

NBC News chairman Andrew Lack said as much when he admitted he was presented “with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident…”

If that, indeed, is the case … and it appears to be at this point … NBC played it right by taking quick action in a successful effort to manage the narrative. If they had stalled, then a barrage of new accusations had hit the news, the network, and not just Lauer, would have become the subject of scrutiny: “What did you know, how much, and when…” By cutting ties with Lauer immediately and saying there may be more credible accusations coming, they keep the focus on him, rather than having to play defense.

Still, the blow was hard for some NBC News staffers. Guthrie, specifically, had a tough time sharing the news, which she had been told just prior to going on the air.

“This is a sad morning at ‘Today’ and NBC News… As I’m sure you can understand, we are devastated. I’m heartbroken for Matt. He is my dear, dear colleague.”

Guthrie followed this by saying it’s long overdue that women should feel comfortable making accusations or “outing” abusive men. Guthrie’s co-anchor for the episode, Hoda Kotb, said it was tough on her as well. “I loved (Lauer) as a friend and a colleague… It’s hard to reconcile the man who walks in everyday…” with the person who was accused of such actions.

That was a common refrain as many people sought how to deal with the news of yet another media titan falling from the pinnacle of success.

About the Author: Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading PR firm.