I often disagree with Juan Williams but he’s a guy with whom I would love to sit down and have a beer. He always seemed to be an honest, decent, straightforward and sincere person.
Curt has a post up about Williams’ firing as an NPR analyst. He linked to the NPR memo on the firing. Here it is:
First, a critical distinction has been lost in this debate. NPR News analysts have a distinctive role and set of responsibilities. This is a very different role than that of a commentator or columnist. News analysts may not take personal public positions on controversial issues; doing so undermines their credibility as analysts, and that’s what’s happened in this situation. As you all well know, we offer views of all kinds on your air every day, but those views are expressed by those we interview – not our reporters and analysts.
Second, this isn’t the first time we have had serious concerns about some of Juan’s public comments. Despite many conversations and warnings over the years, Juan has continued to violate this principal.
Third, these specific comments (and others made in the past), are inconsistent with NPR’s ethics code, which applies to all journalists (including contracted analysts):
“In appearing on TV or other media . . . NPR journalists should not express views they would not air in their role as an NPR journalist. They should not participate in shows . . . that encourage punditry and speculation rather than fact-based analysis.”
More fundamentally, “In appearing on TV or other media including electronic Web-based forums, NPR journalists should not express views they would not air in their role as an NPR journalist
NPR CEO Vivan Schiller told the Atlanta Press Club that
“he should have kept his feeling about Muslims between himself and ‘his psychiatrist or his publicist.’”
Classy.
“News analysts may not take personal public positions on controversial issues”
Psychiatry is clearly outside that purview.
Clearly Williams was fired for not playing PC, as Curt noted. But he is not alone in straying from the plantation.
Media Matters is calling for Mara Liasson’s head.
News that Juan Williams’ contract with NPR was terminated over comments he made about Muslims while appearing on Fox News shines a spotlight on the radio network’s evergreen controversy: Its continued affiliation with Fox News. Specifically, NPR’s Mara Liasson and her long-running association with Fox News has often raised questions. This might be the proper time for NPR to finally address that thorny issue.
Hmmm.
And here’s the reason they cite (emphasis mine):
10. In appearing on TV or other media including electronic Web-based forums, NPR journalists should not express views they would not air in their role as an NPR journalist. They should not participate in shows electronic forums, or blogs that encourage punditry and speculation rather than rather than fact-based analysis.
Hmmm.
“News analysts may not take personal public positions on controversial issues”
Steven Hayes notes something Bill Moyers said last March.
Moyers was a pioneer in deploying the conservatives-as-Taliban trope. Here’s what he said in a speech last March 22:
“When [producer] Sherry [Jones] and I reported the truth behind the news of the Iran-contra scandal for a Frontline documentary called ‘High Crimes and Misdemeanors,’ the right-wing Taliban in town went running to the ayatollahs in Congress, who decried the fact that public television was committing–horrors–journalism.”
H/T WZ
And that’s hardly the end of it.
In 1995 Nina Totenberg said of Jesse Helms:
“If there is retributive justice, he’ll get AIDS from a transfusion, or one of his grandchildren will get it”
Eight years later she had another warm and fuzzy for Army General Jerry Boykin:
“I hope he’s not long for this world.”
How about NPR’s Bob Edwards?
“Increasingly it seems the Bush administration’s foreign policy is running into trouble. The post-war picture in Iraq and Afghanistan is highly unstable. The road map to peace in the Middle East is in tatters. There’s growing unease over the possibility that North Korea and Iran are pursuing nuclear weapons. Friends of the United States are not supportive. Overall, the policies of the United States are still very unpopular around the world. The Bush Doctrine, a preference for unilateral military action and a disdain for multinational diplomacy, is under scrutiny more than ever.”
“News analysts may not take personal public positions on controversial issues”
So what’s with the double standard? What’s different about Juan Williams? Let’s see….
Four of these people are not an uppity black man do not appear on O’Reilly.
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 40 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 45 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter who is in the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.
Vivian Schiller
Bethesda,MD
301-320-7411
Free the Taxpayers: Defund State-Sponsored Media
http://michellemalkin.com/
Bill O’Reilly: ‘It’s Over for NPR’
O’Reilly to call for suspension of taxpayer funding for National Public Radio following Juan Williams’ firing
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4381439/bill-oreilly-its-over-for-npr/?playlist_id=87937
***************************************
Now I am not an O’Reilly fan but Michelle Malkin hit it out of the park.
Moyers and Totenberg have been feeding at the Public trough for too long and are oxygen thieves.
Let’s face it Dr John Fox News is really not about news. They never have been. Sure they actually have some news segments but most of their programing is to tout right wing propaganda. Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck and more are entertainers putting on a show with a right wing spin. Every legitimate news organization knows this and so should you.
Juan Williams was one of the few people that I didn’t mind watching on Fox.. (although I rarely watch that station). However, I think he used poor judgement in even being on O’Reilly’s show.
Firing him was a mistake on NPR’s part.
Williams is guilty of the unpardonable sin of momentarily “relaxing” his 24/7 commitment to the agenda, language and culture of the left. In other words, he told the truth. Nothing is so dangerous to the counter culture as FACTS.
@RAP
I think Bret Baier is a worthy sucessor to Brit Hume. That’s usually all I watch, if any. Most of my info comes off the internet. Yet this morning Fox News had on Steve Driehaus and allowed him to voice. Then FNC had on Rasmussen, Schoen and Cadell together. They’re better at diversity than is anyone else.
Not for a second do I regard Hannity or O’Reilly as newsmen.
But this isn’t about Fox News. It’s about NPR and as you’ll soon see it’s about NPR being bought off by Soros, whose tentacles are invading the central nervous system of this country’s democracy.
Firing Williams was breathtakingly stupid, and Fox’s expanded role for Williams is genius. Williams has a higher profile than ever.
Ironically, no one has come to Williams’ defense more than Fox News and Karl Rove.
@ OLDPUPPYMAX
Indeed! Facts are the greatest danger to the left. Remember- Obama said that information was a threat to democracy.
Do you ever listen to NPR panel shows expecting to hear a range of views on an issue?
I have.
And Fox News just reminded me of one I listened to earlier this year when the flotilla incident had just happened.
On the NPR panel were 5 (FIVE) different commentators.
But all of their views were anti-Israel!
The least anti-Israel commentator was Janine Zacharia who did not overtly criticize Israel BUT did NOT support Israel at all.
So, that was NPR’s ”balanced” panel.
The only reason I had tuned to NPR that day was the flotilla.
It was big news.
I had enough after the show to remember why I don’t bother with NPR usually.
I get News from multiple source, do not give O’Reilly or Hanity credibility and do not trust any single source more than another. NPR stopped offering News about 10 to 15 years ago of any reliable quality. I just believe that Tax Payer funds can be better spent elsewhere and News vs Opinion are horses of a different color. $400 million of Tax Payer funds is just Free Ice Cream for folks that push a political agenda and are neither Journalists or News Folks. They are “Newsies” and overpaid talking heads.
Baier and Hume are honest and unbiased but I draw the line on Huckabee, O’Reilly and Hannity.
There is a difference between information and opinion and it is not subtle. I know the difference.
Good for NPR, Juan Williams slant belongs to “Fake News” with the rest of the failed political candidates Palin, Huckabee, or should I say the 2012 GOP Presidential contenders. They are not bigots, I repeat they are not bigots; they are just the good old boys. They are the same bunch that keep telling us to be scared of BLACKS, scared of ASIANS, sacred of LATINOS, scared of WOMEN, scared of GAYS and now it’s be scared of Muslims. So long Johnny, don’t let the door hit you. I love that you went crying to “Fake News” and played the victim card, I guess it’s another “it is a high-tech lynching”, but it sure got him a new contract, but I guess somehow this silenced him, right?
If you stand for free speech then you stand for free speech. I don’t think I have one thing I ever agreed with Juan Williams about, until this.
True character always surfaces.
Ironically, it is NPR that lacks diversity, not Fox.
With Juan’s departure there is not a single Black Male on their regular lineup!
Not one!
Fox is full of women, women of color, every color.
And Fox has men of all colors as well.
They even have a quadraplegic who sits on a panel a couple times a week.
Who just gave the black guy a $2 million deal? To shut him up???
Montana, that was a squirrely post.
@ Nan G
Bingo. (see the pictures?) 😉
NPR fired the black guy, Fox hires him and Montana is foaming about Fox being the “good old boys”?
Yikes.
It has long been the [overused] meme that Fox News is not a news organization and it is pure and simple nonsense. Beck, O’Reilly, Hannity, etc. freely state that they are opinion commentators. Anderson Cooper tries to present himself as a journalist over at CNN when in truth, he is an overly emotional, agenda-pushing hack. There are pure journalists at Fox News and because they don’t toe the p.c. line, they are demonized by the Left.
When the Left is shrieking about something, you can bet it is something you want or need. They don’t shriek and moan about George Soros’ money, do they?
Defund NPR and let them hemorrhage Soros’ treasure instead of MINE. Eventually, even he has to run out and Soros broke would be a good thing for America! A very good thing.
But if you’re taking MY TAX DOLLARS to run your operation, then you damned well better not be tilting your operation toward either the left or the right. You better be a pure purveyor of FACTS and let me form my own OPINION.
NPR should be competing in the marketplace just like the alphabet idiots and will do just as well, I’m sure. Sink like a stone, in fact!
@ Montana, what part of Big Sky Country do you hail from, if you do at all?
I think you need to have your well checked for hallucinogens. 😯
And of course, this is just my opinion, Montana, but I’m hazarding a guess that you’re off your meds!
Get back on them, please. Your brand of lunacy is quite unsettling. 🙄
Everyone should read Montana’s posts again.
Slowly read them. Take them in deeply….and remember that this, ladies and gentlemen, is a representative voice of the American left in 2010:
“Free speech for me, but not for thee.”
Right Montana?
I almost forgot to mention….Montana is copy/pasting this same comment on other sites on the Interwebz as well.
Finally, everyone should say sayonara to Montana…you see, he’s a sock puppet from a while back.
He, and his alternate personalities (Paul, Benito, Dogmeat, and others) now live in the filter together.
Wow, Aye.
I have to learn to take that option more often. Complete lack of originality- a trademark of the left.
Liberals intolerance, hypocrisy, and racism. They just can’t keep a lid on it. Like cockroaches they true beliefs are sometimes caught in the light for all to see.
Can you imagine if Fox News fired him? WOW it would be an epic melt down. The liberpukes would go nuclear “racist fox news fires black guy”….
I suggest we use the same tactic: NPR fired the only black reporter on the payroll, it figures though because George Sorros just donated 1.8 million to them. George is a Nazi sympathizer and we all know how they feel about blacks…
See how easy it was?
Juan is a black that the democrats (liberals) feel that he has betrayed his own race so they are going to punish him. Odd, that this happened just before election day.
I don’t see either political side compromising. Everyone is digging in their heels & using NPR & other things to force personal agenda’s on you & me. With that said, there is a book surfacing that is a great read/thriller about each of us. TIME magazine is mentioning the possibility of civil war & France & England are having mass civil unrest. With a poor economy, politicials will continue to divide us.
It’s a great read cause it’s about each of us & what may happen.
http://www.booksbyoliver.com
This could get interesting but if it depends on this Dept. of Justice, it won’t go anywhere. 🙄
http://bigpeace.com/asavit/2010/10/22/cairs-role-in-juan-williams-firing-may-be-violation-of-foreign-agents-registration-act/
I wonder how Pledge Week is going at NPR. 🙄
One man’s opinion is another mans ‘propaganda’. CNN and particularly MSNBC routinely have “opinion” segments just as Fox does. The difference is the political slant on it. It just seems when one agrees with that slant…it’s good reporting of issues. When they don’t agree with that particular slant..it’s touting “….”wing propaganda. I find that sort of thinking rather shallow.
The “actual” news reporting, in so far as factual reporting, is lost in a blur of opinion these days.
We aren’t given the actual news event anymore. We are given selective, staged, news wrapped in layers of opinion to tell the viewing audience how they are “supposed” to feel about a certain event.
And when we don’t follow along…they get angry and blame their viewing audience for not playing along. I also find that the shallow end of the pool.
What they “don’t” report, is sometimes as telling as what they “do”.
NPR is full of agenda/opinion driven drivel. People who work for them, like Moyers, routinely make statements and express opinions that make it clear just which side of the political/social, etc., divide they are on.
As far as 9/11 and the argument that one should not use the religion of the attackers (ie., muslims) to define the motivation for attacks…and the oft cited example of McVeigh as a “christian” bomber… McVeigh was anti-government and was motivated by what he felt was growing gov tyranny (he cited the Brady Bill, Ruby Ridge and FBI raid in Waco and on other militias). He was not “religiously” motivated and never claimed to be. Nor were there any churches, priests, or funding from religious orgs implicated in helping him carry out the attack. Nor did he call on all other “christians” to join in and do the same in the name of Jesus.
The 9/11 attackers “were” radicalized through religion and were highly religiously motivated as martyrs. The threads of “Islam” run through everything from training to funding, etc. There were religious orgs as well as mosques implicated in helping them carry out their attacks. There are plenty of additional examples since 9/11 to put an explanation point on it. These attacks (and attempted attacks) are not isolated from religion. They are a part/branch of that religion. The fact that not everyone who is a muslim adheres to that particular branch, doesn’t change the fact that it exists. To say that the 9/11 attackers acted independently, and just “happened” to be muslim, and therefore religion should not be injected into it, is simply an act of denial. I think that walking away even when someone mentions it only goes to prove the point.
@ John Cooper
Did you see where Schiller is “really sorry” this happened during pledge week?
LOL
I wonder if Juan is having doubts about the integrity of the Left?
@ Dr. John
I”ll bet she’s sorry. She single-handedly destroyed her entire organization. She must feel like the captain of the Russian sub who removed the safeties from the torpedo that he fired at the Red October in the movie. “Damn you! You’ve killed US!”, his XO exclaimed just before they all died.
Oh, I E-mailed the Christine O’Donnell campaign earlier and told them they should be running adds about the racist democrats firing the black guy. It they could link Coons to NPR, that would be sweet. Delaware is 30% black, BTW.
@ Skookum2
His eyes have been opened. Welcome to the Tea Party, Juan.
Would you like some crumpets with yout tea, Juan?
@Skookum 2:
This is the conversation he had this morning with Stephanopoulos:
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2010/10/22/juan-williams-ive-always-felt-right-wing-was-inflexible-and-intoleran#ixzz137mg4NFo
Yup. I’m a liberal, and quite frankly I’m scared to ride on an airplane with Muslim passengers, too.
Now why on earth would NPR’s management be concerned that someone representing their own national news network is saying stuff like that on FOX?
@Greg:
I dunno, it didn’t seem to bother NPR when Obama made his typical white comment about his grandmother. The problem with your clipped paraphrasing of Juan William’s comment is the rest of his conversation you either don’t know about or are deliberately ignoring. Both incidents are similar.
________________________________
NPR appears to have a problem standing up to CAIR, here’s how it works:
http://www.jeffjacoby.com/8153/the-blacklisting-of-an-investigative-journalist
http://www.jeffjacoby.com/4413/steven-emerson-and-the-npr-blacklist
Missy @#32,
That’s a powerful article about Steven Emerson.
I had no idea why Lefties seemed so ignorant of what was happening under the surface.
This helps explain it.
@ Greg
And Jesse Jackson feels frightened by a gang of black men following him at night.
Williams spoke the truth. Williams spoke for most of America (the conscious, that is)
It must just kill you that NPR is going to create more conservatives than anyone else could have.
Schadenfreude!
Paging Mr. Schadenfreude!
But hey, thanks for being around!
@Skookum 2:
I heard Juan on the Hannity radio show this afternoon. Juan said it was opening his eyes to how far the left can go. I think Juan will still drive us nuts at times, but at least he is willing to listen at times.
Heard the same interview, PB. Not being a Hannity fan, it was just a fluke I caught that. Was trapped in the car, desperately waiting for Mark Levin for entertainment (other than bad local music programming… LOL) Otherwise, I’m likely to be listening to Cavuto’s afternoon FOX show.. if I have even that luxury.
Juan.. even when I disagreed… was a class act.
Juan… when I agreed… was still a class act.
Juan… handling this NPR debacle… remains a class act.
Personally I think Juan has been handed a promotion via NPR’s idiocy. NPR, on the other hand, has done even more damage to their reputation. Couldn’t have happened to a worse network, other than Air America. Oh wait… the free market took care of them. heh
Juan.. the class act… remains the winner. And for that, I’m very pleased. And, as I said here (or on another thread?), I’d very much welcome Juan to more conservative think, even as a RINO.
JOHN COOPER #27 AND 28
If Delaware is 30% Black Christine is a witch.
If Williams goes Tea Party it’s cause his Fox employers pay him millions to go.
Tea Party candidates stuggling in Del. Nevada,Alaska and Colorado. Fiorini and Whitman wouldn’t meet with Sarah here in California. Nov. 2 will provide some surprises on all fronts.
@Nan G:
Remember, Emerson was a frequent contributor on FOX for quite some time during the war. CAIR starts it and being as though both Emerson and Williams contribute to FOX, imho, it sealed their fate.
How do you like the denials? The back and forth correspondence pretty much makes the NPR powers that be, liars.
Add Toomey in Pa. and Dr. Paul in Ky. to Senatorial races that have tightened in recent days.
I’m going out on a limb here, but my guess is that Montana works for Media Matters, if by “working,” you mean “masturbates furiously in the corner.”
Thanks Missy, as usual, you are on target and on topic. This will be a wake up call for many Liberals; they might as well get a taste of totalitarian authority before it is too late. It is also important to keep threads like this on topic rather than allowing it to be hijacked for meaningless poll handicapping.
What Liberal ideologue wouldn’t be ashamed to have the true nature of the Socialist Orthodoxy on display. It is a disgusting display that every American should resent. The Liberals are worried about foreign campaign funds; yet, allowing Saudia Arabia dictate who is on the payroll of our national radio channel is alright, this reads like some kind of B movie script. It’s real unfortunately, and the Liberals want this dictatorial type of government controling every part of your life. Are you ready to have the Saudis telling you how to live and how to make love to your mate; that’s only the start, they have all kinds of plans for us once they consolidate their power.
Authoritarian control, ask Juan how it feels.
@Skookum 2:
Heh, how could we forget the snide lefty comments about the Saudis investing in FOX, remember? But, it’s their vaunted NPR, an al Arabiya wannabe that’s squelching the speech of anyone that CAIR deems offensive.
Juan’s on FOX right now with complete freedom of speech, he’s pretty energized, a weight has been lifted.
@rich wheeler:
Such as?
@Curt:
Psst, I suspect he’s pulling for Harry and anyone else with a D. 8)
Just found this one funny and I know it’s off topic, sorry, just had to squeeze it in, what a guy that Harry is. 😉
@rich Wheeler
I’m assuming you live in California; with Meg Whitman, and Carley Fiorina (correct spelling) not meeting with Sara Palin makes a perfect political practice. Considering the Central Valley is the only place in CA that where the Conservatives have a majority. That being said if they would have met with her they would be no where near this close of a race. But I do agree with you Nov. 2 will bring some surprises. You will see where the Independent vote brings the conservatives to office. Which in my opinion CA can go another 6 years with Boxer, and yet another term or 2 with Brown.
@ Missy, outstanding video! Poor Harry, soon to join the ranks of the unemployed.
I wonder who “fixed” his income? Hah!
This issue sure brought out the trolls. Notice how they defend the intolerant and rabid behavior of the left? Rich Wheeler can’t defend the actions so he tries to derail the thread by displaying his hate of Conservative candidates (AKA Tea Party candidates).
You are such flaming hypocrites it’s pathetic. Juan is a liberal. You’re just wannabe fascists.
For the recoed, I like Juan too. I don’t always agree with him, but he didn’t seem like a bad guy to me either.
Eric Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring on cutting NPR spending:
So, there are other avenues through which NPR gets our tax dollars?
And yes, there are.
NPR gets money from the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce and the National Endowment of the Arts, for example, as anyone can see by peeking into their annual reports. (PDF file)
Curt #43 If I told you there would be no surprise Seriously, I would enjoy hearing your predictions in aforementioned Senate races + W.Va.,Conn.,Wash,Ill.,Ca.– FINAL Senate and House #’s. Good work. THANKS RW
kcanova Agree Cal is too blue for Palin to be helpful.This is true in most other states as well.I believe Tea Party candidates will lose many races and will not annoint a Pres. winner in 2012.We’ll see
I too like Williams and congratulate him and FOX on the contract.I would disagree with him about fearing passengers dressed in Muslim garb but don’t believe NPR made the right decision in firing him.
Hard Right That you truly are.I get great belly laughs from those that call me a wannabe fascist,commie,socialist etc.
Semper Fi
So is your answer no one will be surprised or are you just answering a question with a question? You said we would be surprised by the outcome, what will that surprise be? As Aye says, “Your claim. Your onus.”
For the record, I was mistaken about the population of Delaware being 30% black. According to the Census bureau, it was only 22% black as of 2009.
@John Cooper:
I saw that post and also thought the DE population was around that % and then looked it up. It’s Maryland’s population that is nearing a third, not living on the E coast, it’s easy to mix the states up. 22% or a third doesn’t make a difference in the point you were making though. Kudos for correcting. 😉