Did NPR go too far when they fired Juan Williams?

Well, did they?

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Permalink Reply by Davo on October 23, 2010 at 10:06am
I don't think so. NPR (to me) is the most fair and balanced news source out there. Also they tend to correct them selves if they appear to be on one side or the other. Besides, this guy already had the job at FOX so its not like this is hurting him in anyway. In fact, this will probably help his career at FOX.
IMO he probably said those things so he would get fired by NPR and that would help create hype about how "leftest" NPR is. Which it is in the sense that the people who fund NPR are primarily the people.
Permalink Reply by Jin Kim on October 23, 2010 at 1:22pm
No. I thought it should have been handled better. I don't know how much longer he had to go on his contract but I would have liked it if they had simply let him know that it wouldn't be renewed.

I have never liked Juan Williams. He seemed to have two different personae depending on the audience.
I have also thought he's incompetent at times.
I mean this is the same guy who pronounced Valerie Plame as "Valerie Flame" for an entire segment All Things Considered.
Permalink Reply by Joe TV on October 23, 2010 at 1:47pm
No. What he said was as bad (if more concise) than what got Rick Sanchez fired from CNN. If you base your employment on an percieved lack of bias, and then go ahead and blow up that myth on the air, well, you just undercut your value to your employer.

NPR did the right thing.
Permalink Reply by mike w. on October 24, 2010 at 4:45am
i won't miss Mr. Williams, he was a bit too rightward for my tastes, but i think the firing was ham-handed and hasty. An unrenewed contract would have been more apt. In his defense, i have heard more of that interview than was aired originally, and he managed to make a recovery of sorts that should've mitigated his opening statement.

But c'mon, he was on FOX, with no one other than the infamous Bill O'Reilly. Who dances in minefields for the fun of it? i think that it was a career move for Mr. Williams. He's been offered a fat contact with FOX.
Permalink Reply by Rowbike Mike on October 24, 2010 at 5:50am
From what I've read, the head of NPR already realizes that how this was handled was a mistake, and has received flack from reporters and board members from the organization about the firing. The fact that it is taking place right around pledge time doesn't help the situation.

The management of NPR certainly has a right to say that if you're a reporter or analyst with the organization, you shouldn't publicly voice your opinions in major news channels; however, the main thing that sticks with me is that this rule is being applied selectively, as other correspondents with NPR have expressed their own personal political views on TV shows (Nina Totenberg is the one getting a lot of press about this) but have apparently never been called out on it. That's not fair.

Although I consider myself conservative, I enjoy listening to programming on NPR but it's hard to deny a liberal bias to their coverage (especially about business).
Permalink Reply by Joe TV on October 24, 2010 at 6:07am
I'll admit to a bit of a slant with NPR, and I'll go so far as to say that avoiding a slant is impossible. But I think there is nothing inappropriate about drawing a line in the sand over blatant prejudice/racism/bigotry.






Rowbike Mike said:
From what I've read, the head of NPR already realizes that how this was handled was a mistake, and has received flack from reporters and board members from the organization about the firing. The fact that it is taking place right around pledge time doesn't help the situation.

The management of NPR certainly has a right to say that if you're a reporter or analyst with the organization, you shouldn't publicly voice your opinions in major news channels; however, the main thing that sticks with me is that this rule is being applied selectively, as other correspondents with NPR have expressed their own personal political views on TV shows (Nina Totenberg is the one getting a lot of press about this) but have apparently never been called out on it. That's not fair.

Although I consider myself conservative, I enjoy listening to programming on NPR but it's hard to deny a liberal bias to their coverage (especially about business).
Permalink Reply by Minh on October 24, 2010 at 7:42am
No but they handled it terribly.
Permalink Reply by Michael Perz on October 24, 2010 at 5:10pm
I can't say I'm all that thrilled to be living in times when copping to an admittedly irrational fear can get you fired from a job.


Joe TV said:
No. What he said was as bad (if more concise) than what got Rick Sanchez fired from CNN.
Permalink Reply by Michael Perz on October 24, 2010 at 5:17pm
It's too bad that he wasn't represented by some journalists' union that contested the firing and turned this into a labor relations fiasco, because I would love to see the average NPR listener twist themselves into ideological knots trying to make sense of it all.
Permalink Reply by Craig S. on October 25, 2010 at 12:34am
All right, Michael, I'll bite.

I'm probably your average NPR listener; I am an avid consumer of their news programming as well as their cultural programming and I support my local public radio station. What sort of ideological knot are you hoping I'll tie myself into?

Mr. Williams violated NPR's journalistic code of ethics, repeatedly, which is why he was sacked.


Michael Perz said:
It's too bad that he wasn't represented by some journalists' union that contested the firing and turned this into a labor relations fiasco, because I would love to see the average NPR listener twist themselves into ideological knots trying to make sense of it all.
Permalink Reply by Michael Perz on October 25, 2010 at 2:44am
If by "violating the journalistic code of ethics" you really mean "appearing on the media outlet of the enemy" or "admitting to an incorrect opinion", then you're right. However, the ultimate determination whether or not his firing was justified lays in the terms of his contract with NPR - something nobody seems to be focusing on when presenting their opinions on this subject.

It's no secret that NPR often tilts left as do many of its listeners. I'd simply like to see how feverish the defenders of their action to fire Williams would be if this story had such a twist. It isn't as if anyone is focusing on the relevant details anyway.





Craig S. said:
All right, Michael, I'll bite.

I'm probably your average NPR listener; I am an avid consumer of their news programming as well as their cultural programming and I support my local public radio station. What sort of ideological knot are you hoping I'll tie myself into?

Mr. Williams violated NPR's journalistic code of ethics, repeatedly, which is why he was sacked.


Michael Perz said:
It's too bad that he wasn't represented by some journalists' union that contested the firing and turned this into a labor relations fiasco, because I would love to see the average NPR listener twist themselves into ideological knots trying to make sense of it all.
Permalink Reply by Craig S. on October 25, 2010 at 2:53am
Don't put words in my mouth, Michael, or think you understand what I might mean. I could parse your words just as easily however it's not relevant here.

Juan Williams, by presenting personal opinion in his role as a journalist, contracted to National Public Radio, violated the terms of his contract -- those details which have been reported -- as a journalist with NPR. How much simpler do you need it?

There was actually a very long and tiresome discussion about this on the BBC yesterday afternoon by media experts and journalists who are a lot more knowledgeable about this than you or I.

Seems to me that you're here throwing ideological stones trying to create an argument.


Michael Perz said:
If by "violating the journalistic code of ethics" you really mean "appearing on the media outlet of the enemy" or "admitting to an incorrect opinion", then you're right. However, the ultimate determination whether or not his firing was justified lays in the terms of his contract with NPR - something nobody seems to be focusing on when presenting their opinions on this subject.

It's no secret that NPR often tilts left as do many of its listeners. I'd simply like to see how feverish the defenders of their action to fire Williams would be if this story had such a twist. It isn't as if anyone is focusing on the relevant details anyway.





Craig S. said:
All right, Michael, I'll bite.

I'm probably your average NPR listener; I am an avid consumer of their news programming as well as their cultural programming and I support my local public radio station. What sort of ideological knot are you hoping I'll tie myself into?

Mr. Williams violated NPR's journalistic code of ethics, repeatedly, which is why he was sacked.


Michael Perz said:
It's too bad that he wasn't represented by some journalists' union that contested the firing and turned this into a labor relations fiasco, because I would love to see the average NPR listener twist themselves into ideological knots trying to make sense of it all.

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