It was ironic that all three major network morning show personalities. including NBC's, seemed to relate in the aftermath to the faux pas.
I'll leave it to others to decide whether this latest incident sets a precedent or is a cautionary tale, but before you count on "a light touch" from regulators, my advice is to live by that simple rule we all learned during the first day at broadcast school:
Treat every microphone as if it's ON.
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Here's the takeaway, A.J.: don't laugh it off, even with friends trying to make you feel better. You made a mistake, one others have made in the past. One others will make in the future. Yours was very public. Theirs may not be. You paid the price with your job but you don't have to pay the price with your career.
You are in journalism and television because it is a calling. It'll be harder finding your next opportunity, but somewhere there's a television GM and news director (or a radio manager, or a web manager) willing to bet that which didn't kill you will make you stronger. You won't take such guidance as "always treat a mic as live" lightly anymore. You will have a more serious understanding of this business. You've also been seasoned in a way few are when it comes to personal challenges. Use that to improve your reporting and your anchoring. It will give you a unique perspective.
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