The golden rule of journalism can be summed up in one phrase: tell the truth. Other distractors and rules are obviously taken into account when reporting a story, but it all comes down reporting exactly what happened. No embellishments, no frivolity, just the much-quoted “cold, hard truth.”

When a journalist violates this sacred agreement, he or she should lose the privilege of reporting to the people. This is why NBC News’ punishment of anchor Brian Williams did not go far enough, and he should be fired amid questions of his credibility.

NBC News announced Tuesday night that Williams will receive a six-month suspension without pay. A firestorm had engulfed Williams in recent days after allegations of exaggerating and fabricating details of his reporting during the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina.

While it’s doubtful that Williams will ever be able to recover and anchor the news again after this punishment, formally firing him would show NBC News’ commitment to journalistic integrity.

While covering Iraq in 2003, Williams claimed that his helicopter was forced to land after being hit by an rocket-propelled grenade. A daunting tale, yes, but he actually flew in an undamaged helicopter an hour behind the crippled aircraft. He admitted to the lie Feb. 4 and blamed the error on the “fog of memory.”

Questions have also arisen concerning stories Williams told about his stay in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel while covering Hurricane Katrina in 2005. His claims of alleged armed gangs overrunning the hotel have been refuted by a number of sources.

These weren’t little white lies, either. Williams recounted them repeatedly on talk shows and to fellow journalists, highlighting the “dangers” he endured to get the facts to the American people.

But those “dangers” were invented to create a larger-than-life persona, and Williams’ credibility was subsequently compromised. Going forward, how can we believe anything he says when we know his history of lies? He sacrificed his integrity for the sake of engaging his audience, and integrity is a hard thing to win back.

Williams’ erroneous stories have little impact in the real world; there was no career-ending slander, no policy-changing reports. But he has violated the core principle of journalism. He can’t be trusted to deliver the news to the American public if he can’t be trusted to tell the truth. And unfortunately, he has proven that he can’t be trusted.

Every news organization, from national news outlets to The Black & White, should be held to the same standard of journalistic integrity. Williams’ celebrity status shouldn’t allow him to come back after six months and reclaim his anchor position, just as a high school reporter from The Black & White would be forced to resign for making up or dramatizing stories.

The bottom line is that Williams told stories that he seemingly knew to be false, costing him his credibility both within the journalism community and with the general public. Williams’ golden awards don’t exempt him from the golden rule of journalism, and he should be taken of the air permanently.