Juan Williams Fired From NPR

[Smallc]

There is a difference between Fox Broadcasting, which is over the airways and offers traditional broadcasting fare. What most reference is Fox News, which is their 24-hour cable news program that many thought, was an arm of the Republican Party but recently think the roles have been reversed.

Fox Business is in the same category.

[bush_cheney2004]

There is a difference between Fox Broadcasting, which is over the airways and offers traditional broadcasting fare. What most reference is Fox News, which is their 24-hour cable news program that many thought, was an arm of the Republican Party but recently think the roles have been reversed.

No matter, as local Fox broadcast television stations are fully integrated with Fox News for national and international content. If they say Fox, most of the time they have no idea what they are referring to in scope or scale.

[scribblet]

No media outlet broadcasts only one view or the other. It's a matter of proportion. And NPR leans strongly left. There's no doubt about it. You're denying the undeniable. Just look at their content, and the people that comprise the organization. Also, just look at who their big contributors are. George Soros.

I guess it's hard to turn down 1.8 million dollar donation from a liberal extremist who has a far left political agenda, by accepting it they are demonstrating their liberal media strategy. The price for not turning down those checks is a big one. Indeed we know that Soros is using his money to influence the media message, so really, does anyone expect NPR to hire 100 reporters Soros wouldn't like

Actually expressing a fear of something based on actual past events is not a bias, it's a normal human emotion under the circumstances, and anyone who actually went on to watch or read the rest what he said, they would know what he was trying to express.

Maybe people should be asking why NPR didn't fire it's Liberal analysts who made much worse comments

Things you can say on NPR and not get fired

- call protesters with whom you disagree a sexual pejoratives such as "teabaggers."

- You can wish 4 million Christians would "disappear" from the earth.

- wish AIDS upon a Republican Senator.

- claim that Newt Gingrich seeks "a civil way of lynching people,"

- call for Rush Limbaugh's death.

[Bitsy]

I feel certain that there is considerable back-story to NPR and Williams, his past does have some blemishes. While at the Washington Post, he was disciplined for “wrong" and "inappropriate" verbal conduct toward women staffers. No surprises there as he was a strong defender of Clarence Thomas against the charges of Anita Hill.

BTB, where necessary and responsible, the people involved in the incidents being brought back up after 15 plus years made immediate apologies.

[Shady]

I find it difficult to discuss vague assertions

I'll let Noam Chomsky explain.

"National Public Radio is considered the liberal, the kind of the outer limits of the left in the United States."

"National Public Radio, the kind of left medium."

Come'on now. You're not gonna disagree with Ol'Noam now are you?

[Shady]

I feel certain that there is considerable back-story to NPR and Williams

Is that a CYA? Because otherwise what they did was wrong right? You're finally admitting that. Unless of course there's this "considerable back-story."

[Bitsy]

Is that a CYA? Because otherwise what they did was wrong right? You're finally admitting that. Unless of course there's this "considerable back-story."

Definitely not a CYA. I admit nothing just providing a little history for those who might not be familiar with Williams. My experience is that companies have the right to fire without cause, I cannot imagine that NPR is any different, so anyone who argues they were wrong is wrong themselves. You may not think he deserved to be fired, many on the left feel the same way, but NPR has the right to fire him for any reason they so choose. Judging from some of their comments, they had several reasons.

Williams has moved on to a place more suited to him and certainly with more money in his future; as Andrew Sullivan said, “On Fox News, if you say something bigoted, you get rewarded, you get promoted, and you get celebrated. And that is a direct strategy. That's a media strategy.”

[bush_cheney2004]

...You may not think he deserved to be fired, many on the left feel the same way, but NPR has the right to fire him for any reason they so choose. Judging from some of their comments, they had several reasons.

...this was the only reason my wife needed for cancelling her sustaining subscriber contribution to the local public radio station.

Edited October 25, 2010 by bush_cheney2004

[Pliny]

So? How come there was no outcry over Sanchez and Thomas? Anyone who agrees with their firing and not William's is a blatant hypocrite.

"Jews should get the hell out of Isreal!" is a similar remark to Juan's feeling apprehensive if he sees someone dressed in Muslim garb at the airport?

You can't be serious????

[scribblet]

Expressing an opinion or a fear of radical Islam will get you branded and marginalized, Medved has a piece on it here. There's nothing bigoted about voicing a concern when you consider the actual attacks and attempted attacks on the west by radical Islamists, it is now at the point where people cannot even vocalize their feelings anymore without being demonized,it is an insidious malaize on our society which threatens our freedoms.

Just as using the term Hitler invariably shuts down an argument, so does calling someone a bigot or racist, and lessens the impact of actual racism.

http://townhall.com/columnists/MichaelMedved/2010/10/20/disapproval_of_islam_is_no_indication_of_bigotry/page/full/

Does a negative opinion of Islam amount to conclusive evidence of bigotry?

Those who warn of a raging frenzy of American “Islamophobia” base their case on the assumption that anything less than enthusiastic approval of The Religion of Peace automatically qualifies as hate-mongering and ignorance.

[Bitsy]

Fox Business is in the same category.

Yes, Fox Business is also a cable offering.

[Bitsy]

No matter, as local Fox broadcast television stations are fully integrated with Fox News for national and international content. If they say Fox, most of the time they have no idea what they are referring to in scope or scale.

That is true but I try to make a distinction when speaking of Fox; I watch some Fox network broadcasts, I don't miss NFL Fox Sunday but do not watch Fox News. Fox News is only available to those who have cable.

[Bitsy]

Things you can say on NPR and not get fired

- call protesters with whom you disagree a sexual pejoratives such as "teabaggers."

- You can wish 4 million Christians would "disappear" from the earth.

- wish AIDS upon a Republican Senator.

- claim that Newt Gingrich seeks "a civil way of lynching people,"

- call for Rush Limbaugh's death.

These issues were addressed and apologies issued when they happened, all of them were 15 years old…AIDs, Rapture, Gingrich.

The Rush Limbaugh comment was in an email to a private group made by a freelance employee of an independent station. After the private email was leaked, NPR issued a statement disavowing itself from the comment.

I am not able to find where anyone from NPR called protestors teabaggers, on air or in print. I would like to see a link for that accusation. This is probably what you are parroting: the NPR website, had an animated cartoon by Mark Fiore entitled “Learn to Speak Tea Bag”. Mark Fiore, a Pulitizer Prize winning editorial cartoonist, is not an employee of NPR. Read what he has to say about the death threats he received for this cartoon…. "Muslim extremist, meet Tea Party extremist. Tea Party extremist, meet Muslim extremist."

http://www.markfiore.com/mark-fiore-blog/learn-to-speak-teabag-tea-party-response-to-right-wing-complaints

[Bitsy]

...this was the only reason my wife needed for cancelling her sustaining subscriber contribution to the local public radio station.

After retiring, I am not in my car often enough or long enough to listen to NPR so I no longer make the contributions I did when I traveled and listed to NPR daily. PBS now gets my full contribution but I may reconsider and split my contribution as I have done in the past.

I understand your wife’s anger and frustration and agree that cancelling her sustaining subscriber contribution is an effective way to register her displeasure with NPR. I trust that she will also no longer listen to any of their broadcasting. As you know, unlike an actual subscriber service, cable TV, newspapers, magazines, etc., her local radio station is still available for her listening pleasure. I have acquaintances who listen to our NPR station without ever contributing.

[scribblet]

...this was the only reason my wife needed for cancelling her sustaining subscriber contribution to the local public radio station.

Good for her.... Now if Congress can pull their funding, but I doubt that will happen, not any time soon anyway.

Maybe Soros will send more money -

IMO Juan Williams is another casualty in the war against any non liberal opinions, but now they are caught up in it themselves. It's a chill wind blowing and getting chillier.

Edited October 25, 2010 by scribblet

[bush_cheney2004]

....I understand your wife’s anger and frustration and agree that cancelling her sustaining subscriber contribution is an effective way to register her displeasure with NPR. I trust that she will also no longer listen to any of their broadcasting. As you know, unlike an actual subscriber service, cable TV, newspapers, magazines, etc., her local radio station is still available for her listening pleasure. I have acquaintances who listen to our NPR station without ever contributing.

Any such contributions are voluntary....and technically a small portion of CPB funding comes from unavoidable taxes anyway. NPR is directly associated with most local public radio stations for national news, financial updates, and daily puff pieces.

[Bitsy]

Come'on now. You're not gonna disagree with Ol'Noam now are you?

Of course, not. A man of his brilliance, I have to assume he knows of what he speaks; even if his Gulf War anecdote was more than 20 years ago, Much has changed in 20 years at NPR. It is my understanding that they have added conservative voices to their opinion/analysis programming. As for their news reporting, their reputation is still stellar I believe. In polls that measure the public’s knowledge of events, PBS/NPR has the most informed viewers.

[Bitsy]

Any such contributions are voluntary....and technically a small portion of CPB funding comes from unavoidable taxes anyway. NPR is directly associated with most local public radio stations for national news, financial updates, and daily puff pieces.

Yep, yep, and yep. As I stated previously, if I felt as your wife does, I would certainly stop supporting NPR with my contribution, and I would certainly stop listening to them on the radio. Choice is a great thing.

[Shady]

It is my understanding that they have added conservative voices to their opinion/analysis programming.

I'm not sure that's true.

In polls that measure the public’s knowledge of events, PBS/NPR has the most informed viewers.

I'm not sure that's true either. It sounds good though.

[Bitsy]

Expressing an opinion or a fear of radical Islam will get you branded and marginalized, Medved has a piece on it here. There's nothing bigoted about voicing a concern when you consider the actual attacks and attempted attacks on the west by radical Islamists, it is now at the point where people cannot even vocalize their feelings anymore without being demonized,it is an insidious malaize on our society which threatens our freedoms.

I liken it to crying fire in a crowded theater. After 9/11, Bush and his administration cautioned the public about judging Muslims; he encouraged people to fly….go to Disneyworld or whatever. Now almost 10 years later, on national television we hear a respected journalist preface his pronouncing with I am not a bigot tell the public that people in Muslim garb on an airplane worry him and make him nervous. And dont give me that crap that he has a right to be fearful because of the past since it has been pointed out several times here that the ones who did us harm were dressed as every day Americans... no Muslim garb for them. While Juan is worried about his Muslim garbed seat mate; a Timothy McVeigh or an Eric Rudolph or Ted Kaczynski seated across the aisle would go unnoticed.

I do not see any malaise in the states but I do so much anger and, though people say they are losing their freedoms, but I have yet to have one tell me which of their freedoms they have lost. The loss of freedom is fear mongering and the teabaggers have taken the bait; they parrot it without even knowing which freedoms they have lost or are in the process of losing

Edited October 25, 2010 by Bitsy

[bush_cheney2004]

Yep, yep, and yep. As I stated previously, if I felt as your wife does, I would certainly stop supporting NPR with my contribution, and I would certainly stop listening to them on the radio. Choice is a great thing.

Well, as you know, American radio markets began losing hard news stations many years ago...part of the demise of the AM band, talk radio, internet, satellite radio, and consolidation to corporate owners and format for profit programming. We're seeing the same thing with newspapers and print media. The days of the locally owned and produced radio news program are numbered.

So public stations with NPR feeds were one of the last bastions of a dedicated news format (weekdays) in major markets. I would tolerate the slanted views as just the price of being available at all in the car, with the exception of subscription satellite radio (also ad free).

I just think that NPR could have handled this much more privateley, instead of hyping the issue for political points. As for best informed NPR listeners, I don't agree at all, as Americans with access to other media outlets can do better if they wish. Heck, anybody with a good shortwave radio can tell you that (I have three!)...but not so good in the car.

[scribblet]

====

I just think that NPR could have handled this much more privateley, instead of hyping the issue for political points. As for best informed NPR listeners, I don't agree at all, as Americans with access to other media outlets can do better if they wish. Heck, anybody with a good shortwave radio can tell you that (I have three!)...but not so good in the car.

Can you deduct donations to NPR ?

[bush_cheney2004]

Can you deduct donations to NPR ?

Yes...mostly through local public station drives, donated cars, wills, etc.

http://www.npr.org/stations/donate/

[Jack Weber]

Anyone with a brain about them does not watch Fox. This much I understand. And I've stopped listening to most of them, because it's mostly garbage with nothing of value in them at all. This is te sad state of 'news' these days. It's all hypocritical, it's all A vrs B. Them, us. A divide.

Quality and unbiased reporting is almost non existant. I've had my TV off for about 2 weeks now. It's nice to not get bombarded with utter nonesense.

Oddly enough,The Newshour on PBS is probably the best American news program on...Mainly because it dares to be non-ideological.After a summary of the days news,it covers about 3 to 4 topics in depth and allows both sides to say their piece without all the idiotic shouting and berating that goes on elsewhere...

[Shady]

somehow, the "left" forced another venue move... a third move... into a larger facility! Doesn't more space/seats allow for a greater reach for the Steynspeak?

They did. They refused to allow Steyn to speak at the convention centre. As a result, the group found a larger more expensive venue. Is it really that hard to understand?

Listen Where's Waldo. You can't just sit there in your red and white striped hat, and those goofy glasses, and make things up.