As the fourth week begins since Nancy Guthrie was first reported missing in Arizona, Savannah Guthrie and her family remain steadfast and hopeful that things will be resolved, despite it obviously being as emotionally stressful an experience as can be. Given it’s still unclear how long she’ll be absent from the small screen, her colleagues have made an attempt to show some on-air solidarity, but it’s had some unexpectedly negative repercussions.
NBC News staffers and on-air talent have expressed condolences and sympathy for the Guthrie family for weeks now while reporting on the ongoing case, and many have taken that support a step further by wearing yellow ribbons on the air. The color was chosen as it matches flowers that locals and others have been placing outside of Nancy Guthrie’s home outside of Tuscon. As well, it matches the yellow ribbons that neighbors in the area have tied to their mailboxes to symbolize the community’s hope.
For example, here’s a shot of temporary Today Show returnee Hoda Kotb from Monday morning’s installment:
The majority of Savannah Guthrie’s colleagues at Today have also been donning the yellow ribbon, from Carson Daly to Al Roker to Sheinelle Jones to Craig Melvin and beyond. As well, the studio has been decorated with yellow flowers at different points. But it doesn't look like the eagerness to be supportive has spread throughout the entirety of the NBC Newsroom.
How The Yellow Ribbon Tribute Has Already Soured
Despite all of the yellow popping up early in the morning on NBC's Today, viewers have latched onto the fact that the evenings aren't shaded quite the same. NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas, in particular, has been pegged by some viewers as being less than supportive to the cause for opting not to wear a ribbon, while others have also allegedly been criticized behind the scenes, according to Daily Mail.
One insider says that while the robbon-wearing "started as something beautiful," viewers have started watching specifically to see which anchors and correspondents have one, and which ones are seemingly choosing to go without. Given his prominence as the name on NBC Nightly News, Llamas' lack of a ribbon "didn't go unnoticed," according to the insider, who noted that "the absences become louder than the symbol" in cases like this.
One producer who remained anonymous shared the following:
No one is accusing anyone of lacking compassion. But in a high-profile newsroom built on image and unity, even small gestures can carry weight. The ribbons were meant to bring everyone together. Instead, they've exposed how closely people are watching.
All that said, the outlet also reports that because the ribbons aren't being enforced by NBC News execs, there's a sense that viewers and others are looking too deeply into the matter, and they stress that not all wardrobe choices automatically reflect one's stance on any given subject.
For what it's worth, Senior White House Correspondent Gabe Gutierrez has sported a yellow ribbon when he's shown up to speak his piece on NBC Nightly News.
The most important elements here are, of course, the whereabouts of Nancy Guthrie and her safe return. Stay tuned to Today for the latest on that front, and to learn when (or if) Savannah Guthrie will return to daytime TV.
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