Can Brian Williams regain viewers' trust?

After filling in for Williams in the aftermath of his scandal, Lester Holt will become the permanent anchor of "Nightly News," making him the "first black solo anchor of a weekday network nightly newscast."

"I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago. ... I want to apologize," Williams said.

In February, Williams admitted to exaggerating his experience during the Iraq War. He claimed to have been in a helicopter that was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. That called into question his coverage of events like Hurricane Katrina.

But with Williams reportedly returning in some capacity, can NBC expect viewers to trust him?

Every September, Gallup polls Americans on their trust in the media. Last year, only 18 percent of the country had either a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in television news.

We know what you're thinking: but didn't Williams already apologize?

Sort of.

He actually apologized for misremembering the events, saying he had actually been in the helicopter behind the one hit by an RPG.

Since he was banned from speaking publicly on the issue, Williams has been silent during his suspension.

But Thursday, CNN media correspondent Brian Stelter reported Williams has already shot an interview with "Today" host and NBC colleague Matt Lauer.

It's not yet clear what Williams said in that apparent interview, but taking responsibility could go a long way toward regaining viewers' trust.

This video includes images from Getty Images.