Journalist for a Day

Ever wanted to be a big-time journalist on a major network newscast? Just be skinny, young, good looking, and report to NBC News:

THE staff at NBC News isn't younger and hotter than the staffs at other network news operations -- it just seems that way. Sources say that when Brian Williams left his desk to deliver Wednesday's nightly broadcast from the middle of the newsroom, producers brought in some ringers. "NBC newsroom staffers don't look like Vogue staffers," said one source. "So they asked less attractive, heavier staffers to move seats and allow younger, thinner members of the staff to act as extras." The "extras," including two interns who normally run errands, were told to sit up straight, look busy and keep their computers on the MSNBC Web site. "No porn behind Brian," our source laughed. An NBC rep denied any reality-altering: "The majority of the people seen on the newscast are the same people who are there every night." As for the interns? "They were serving a purpose. They were helping out with the broadcast."

I'm afraid I would have been one of the guys asked to move.