Boycott NPR until they fire Vivian Schiller for firing Juan Williams
Posted: Monday, October 25, 2010
by Mogama
http://www.mogama.info
Juan Williams' former position with NPR used to be that of senior news analyst. He was hastily fired on Wednesday, October 20, for his "Muslim garb" comment. NPR CEO, Vivian Schiller, said Juan Williams' words "were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR."
I would agree with Vivian if Juan had spoken those words on NPR, since that news organ's "editorial standards and practices" aka political correctness are obviously slanted to the left. In the same way, I wouldn't be surprised if a conservative news joint fires an analyst for saying nice things about homosexual or pro-choice activists. That would not fit the conservative template.
But the thing that really annoys me is that NPR pretends to offer or produce objective, opinion-free journalism, just as nauseating as Fox News claiming to be "fair and balanced". That pretense, that hypocrisy makes the firing of Juan Williams an insult to all truly balanced news consumers. We know who's on what team in the field of journalism these days, even if the teams swap jerseys now and then. Can't fool us.
Juan lost his job with NPR because not only has he been playing for the other team, he has actually been scoring points for them. You can't do that, Juan. You've got to be loyal to your news team, liberal or conservative. That's the state of journalism in our generation, and who'd want to change a thing?
In firing Williams it is the NPR CEO that is looking incompetent as an administrator. Shortly after the firing of Juan, Vivian commented that Juan "should have kept his feelings about Muslims between himself and his psychiatrist or his publicist." Childish talk. Schiller ate those words the morning after.
Today, CEO Schiller told her administrative colleagues at NPR, "I want to apologize to you for not doing a better job of handling the termination of our relationship with Juan Williams. While we stand firmly behind that decision, I regret that we did not take the time to better prepare our messaging and to provide you with the tools to cope with the fallout from this episode. As I'm telling our Member stations in a separate memo today, I also regret that this happened when the staff and volunteers of many stations were deeply engaged in pledge drives."
Oops! Money always talks, Madam Schiller, and you shouldn't have talked while money was talking!
While Vivian is scrambling to hold on to her job, Juan giggles all the way to the bank. I can't help but think that's exactly the way Juan would have imagined it, since he's been playing for the two media nemeses. Fox News has raised Juan's pay to $2,000,000 for a three-year contract. And Bill O'Reilly has treated Juan's light wounds by enthroning him as temporary host of the Bill O'Reilly Show.
Still I'd like to add to Vivian Schiller's agony for exposing the nakedness of NPR as a liberal bastion, for removing all illusions of fair reporting. I propose that fair-minded news consumers who still truly believe in free speech boycott NPR in a way that NPR executives cannot arrogantly ignore. Let's spank them for preaching tolerance but practicing intolerance, for espousing freedom of expression while punishing the same.
What is the best way to boycott NPR? Not tuning in to your local NPR station seems childish to me, though I'm tempted to try that. How about those millions of small donors withholding their money from NPR member stations? I don't mean permanently, but until NPR fires CEO Vivian Schiller. This is the quickest way for NPR to feel the heat and terminate Schiller for the unprofessional manner in which she has sacked Juan Williams, who is no bigot by the way.
Now, I don't want Juan to think that he's turned me into a Fox News fan either! Thank God for the new media. ~mogama~
But the thing that really annoys me is that NPR pretends to offer or produce objective, opinion-free journalism, just as nauseating as Fox News claiming to be "fair and balanced". That pretense, that hypocrisy makes the firing of Juan Williams an insult to all truly balanced news consumers. We know who's on what team in the field of journalism these days, even if the teams swap jerseys now and then. Can't fool us.
Juan lost his job with NPR because not only has he been playing for the other team, he has actually been scoring points for them. You can't do that, Juan. You've got to be loyal to your news team, liberal or conservative. That's the state of journalism in our generation, and who'd want to change a thing?
In firing Williams it is the NPR CEO that is looking incompetent as an administrator. Shortly after the firing of Juan, Vivian commented that Juan "should have kept his feelings about Muslims between himself and his psychiatrist or his publicist." Childish talk. Schiller ate those words the morning after.
Today, CEO Schiller told her administrative colleagues at NPR, "I want to apologize to you for not doing a better job of handling the termination of our relationship with Juan Williams. While we stand firmly behind that decision, I regret that we did not take the time to better prepare our messaging and to provide you with the tools to cope with the fallout from this episode. As I'm telling our Member stations in a separate memo today, I also regret that this happened when the staff and volunteers of many stations were deeply engaged in pledge drives."
Oops! Money always talks, Madam Schiller, and you shouldn't have talked while money was talking!
While Vivian is scrambling to hold on to her job, Juan giggles all the way to the bank. I can't help but think that's exactly the way Juan would have imagined it, since he's been playing for the two media nemeses. Fox News has raised Juan's pay to $2,000,000 for a three-year contract. And Bill O'Reilly has treated Juan's light wounds by enthroning him as temporary host of the Bill O'Reilly Show.
Still I'd like to add to Vivian Schiller's agony for exposing the nakedness of NPR as a liberal bastion, for removing all illusions of fair reporting. I propose that fair-minded news consumers who still truly believe in free speech boycott NPR in a way that NPR executives cannot arrogantly ignore. Let's spank them for preaching tolerance but practicing intolerance, for espousing freedom of expression while punishing the same.
What is the best way to boycott NPR? Not tuning in to your local NPR station seems childish to me, though I'm tempted to try that. How about those millions of small donors withholding their money from NPR member stations? I don't mean permanently, but until NPR fires CEO Vivian Schiller. This is the quickest way for NPR to feel the heat and terminate Schiller for the unprofessional manner in which she has sacked Juan Williams, who is no bigot by the way.
Now, I don't want Juan to think that he's turned me into a Fox News fan either! Thank God for the new media. ~mogama~
This Article has been viewed 1,593 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)I am a fan of NPR but this will ultimately cost NPR affiliates greatly. You cannot take such a one-sided opinion without thinking a great number of people will stop donating. NPR should fire mrs. Schiller and hire someone that will keep NPR what it has always been and not turn it into a CNN/MSNBC for the radio. Is that not the mission of public radio?"NPR should fire mrs. Schiller and hire someone that will keep NPR what it has always been and not turn it into a CNN/MSNBC for the radio." I do second the motion, Brandon. Thanks for your comment. ~mogama~
Mogama, I agree 100%. NPR's firing of Juan Williams was nothing but an act of pure elitism. Then, to add insult to injury, that woman made a comment to the effect of "... it's between Juan Williams and his psychiatrist..." as if those who disagree with her are mentally unstable. NPR deserves nothing from the government or any of us.As I said, the firing by NPR and hiring by Fox News might have played right into Juan Williams' fantasy. He's the big winner...never been as famous as he is right. Thanks, Terry, for commenting. ~mogama~Well spoken Terry--pure elitism. Williams is respected by most on the left and right side of the spectrum. He's one of those few people that calls em as he sees them no matter where he's speaking. An honest man telling his views. Give the US 5,000 more like him in positions of authority and see the US improve.
Yes, indeed, Mogama, thank god for the new media. Independence of mind is always going to be a force to be reckoned with, I think.What a blessing to be alive at a time when we don't really need radio/TV reporters to get or make news from around the nation and the world! Thanks, Jennifer, for commenting. ~mogama~
Great article Mogama! Juan is a unique guy especially in the time frame of mid-term elections in that he has everyone from ultra-liberals to ultra-conservatives coming together on his behalf! Who else could begin to do that? THANKS!"he has everyone from ultra-liberals to ultra-conservatives coming together on his behalf!" You've got that right, Marijo. Thanks for commenting. ~mogama~
PBS obtained an interview with Osama bin Laden in 1998. Let us give credit, where credit is due. It was a great piece by ABC reporter John Miller. I wanted to use a quote from that interview in my book on oil depletion because it was highly relevant to my basic thesis.
But wait! Have you read their copyright notice? It is an arrogant, condescending, and highly restrictive document that threatens to use the police power of the State to penalize mere authors who want to use NPR reference material.
Aside from my bad experience with an imperious bureaucracy, I have to wonder. If our tax dollars pay for this stuff, then why isn’t it freely available to every American taxpayer? All CPB material should be freely available in the public domain. Or stop using tax dollars to fund its operations.
"If our tax dollars pay for this stuff, then why isn’t it freely available to every American taxpayer? All CPB material should be freely available in the public domain. Or stop using tax dollars to fund its operations." I do second the motion, Ronald. ~mogama~
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.