Juan Williams Fired from NPR

I obviously don't think it's any kind of First Amendment issue.

I'm just surprised at the lack of empathy from industry colleagues -- especially when Juan was so careful to warn Bill O about making generalizations.

 

Something tells me this is the reason the journalist who gets laid off through no fault of his own is getting a lot more empathy around here than someone who said something dumb (I question whether it's a fireable offense though) and has this nice little parachute open up.

 

What, jealousy?

 

Speaking for myself, I would not have fired Williams. I would long ago have told him he had to choose between NPR and Fox, and since Fox pays way more, he'd have been long gone with no muss or fuss for my organization. Pundits aren't exactly an irreplaceable commodity.

 

I agree, Michael. I don't know what NPR was thinking, but this strikes me as a convenient excuse for NPR to get rid of Williams more than a reaction to what he said (which might be a small part of it).

 

Williams situation was interesting. Fox used his NPR "cred" to position him as a liberal. NPR's policies say journalists should not say anything biased or opinionated.
Bad enough that he was bouncing between NPR and Fox, bouncing between journalist and pundit is even more complicated.
I don't think what he said was that bad and probably honest, but I think it spoke to a larger narrative that NPR didn't want to associate with Fox News's anti-muslim news product.

 

Yet we have plenty of people here, and in this branch of the media world, who advocate having beat reporters opine wherever and whenever possible, on blogs, radio and TV, while ostensibly doing their jobs as journalists.

I think the clearest message here is to have one master, not two, three or more. If you're a reporter, report. If you're a pundit, pundit-ize. If you're with NPR, don't go on other outlets as anything more than a guest -- $$$ changes the game -- and remember who pays your mortgage. And vice versa.

Unfortunately, dying and cheap-ass media outlets often don't pay enough and would rather put on ethical blinders by having people draw multiple paychecks than carry the freight themselves and expect their peeps to properly comport themselves.

 

It's a conundrum to be sure. Talk shows like having people on who know what they are talking about, who have credibilty for dealing with facts, which gives their opinions more weight.
Of course, once you start spouting opinions it erodes your credibility and puts you on a "side."

 

Head in the sand
Head in the sand
All Muslims are great
All Muslims are grand

 

Think Williams and O'Reilly had the fix in?
I bet Williams already had the Fox offer in his pocket, and figured by saying something he knew could get him shitcanned at NPR, he'd get at the big bucks sooner.
Juan's not a bigot. He's just greedy.

 

It's just that it's awfully funny that conservative commentators get shit-canned while the flame-throwers on the left seem to be immune.
Fox has liberal viewpoints. Not many, but they don't toss them for what they say.
As one person tweeted earlier today, if Juan Williams had said George W. Bush was a liar and murderer for Iraq, NPR would have thrown him a parade.

 

You know damned well that race and religion are ultra-sensitive topics.