The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #132990   Message #3013498
Posted By: Genie
23-Oct-10 - 12:20 AM
Thread Name: BS: NPR fires Juan Williams
Subject: RE: BS: NPR fires Juan Williams
Slag, you said "... to condemn a man for honestly stating how he feels in a given situation? Come on. And not only that, I believe that Mr. williams only made the comment to demostrate that we cannot always go by feelings as they are not always rational. Schiller was gunning for Williams because he didn't fit her "profile" of what a black NPR newsman should be."

First, Juan Williams was fired (as an NPR commentator), not "condemned." When you are a representative of an organization, yes, you do need to consider the likely effects the open expression of your own biases and gut feelings may have on others.   I don't know the terms of Williams's contract with NPR, but if his public statements violate that contract, it's reasonable for NPR to fire him. If not, not.

If Williams's comments, both at NPR and at Fox, don't fit what Schilling/NPR want their "news analysts" to be, I don't see where race comes into the picture.

I've had a problem with Juan Williams for years, partly for reasons that aren't all his fault. Fox holds him up as illustrating how "fair and balanced" they are in including "liberals" like Williams in some of their shows. He's not even close to being a liberal.   Libertarian, maybe. Moderate conservative, maybe.   Liberal/progressive a la Ted Kennedy or FDR or Dennis Kucinich or Bernie Sanders or Rachel Maddow or Thom Hartmann? No way.
But his inclusion Fox as a token "liberal" helps them maintain their facade of being "balanced." And on NPR, too, he doesn't come across as a dispassionate, objective news reporter or analyst, but, again, as part of the team of voices that reify many right-wing talking points while perpetuating the false perception that public radio and TV are "liberal media."   

Juan Williams, I think, is walking away from this in fine shape (well over $1 million richer and a free agent). I guess what remains to be seen is what sort of voice NPR will choose to replace him.   I hope it's not another milquetoast, vapid MOR one like Gwen Ifill.