NPR fires Juan Williams - for saying stuff non-liberal

[heckofajobbrownie]

Oh, as for Williams' contract, I have no idea what's in it, but it doesn't really need to be. It's not a rule for him specifically; it's for everyone them employ in that capacity. NPR had already warned him about this, and he'd already been told to stop identifying himself as a NPR reporter when he was on Fox. The idea being, they thought he was already saying things that were beyond the scope of his employment on NPR and didn't want to be associated with it.

 

But if they hadn't made a stink about it, no one would have cared or noticed. They could have simply let his contract expire, or done this in a different way.

 

 

[heckofajobbrownie]

Peter Beinhart:

 

 

Whatever the firing of Juan Williams does, or does not, say about National Public Radio, it says a lot about the American right. First, its extraordinary lack of empathy for Muslims. When Williams said that “when I get on the plane…if I see people who are in Muslim garb…I get worried,” he was voicing a stereotype. Like many stereotypes, this one has a small basis in reality: Muslims (although not in “Muslim garb”) did blow up airplanes on 9/11. And like most stereotypes, it extrapolates from that narrow truth in a way that harms large numbers of innocent people. Most of the time, in such circumstances, even people sympathetic to the stereotyper acknowledge that the stereotype does real harm. Had Williams said that “when I get on the subway…if young black men are wearing hip-hop clothes…I get worried,” even Bill O’Reilly and company would likely have acknowledged that such an attitude is unfair to the African-American young. Had Williams said that “when I get on the train…if I see someone reading a Bible…I think they’re closed-minded,” O’Reilly would have screamed discrimination until his head exploded.

 

But in this case, the right-wing pundits and politicians who lined up to defend Williams and denounce NPR didn’t even acknowledge the harm such stereotypes do to innocent Muslims. From their statements, in fact, you’d hardly know that there are innocent Muslims. Williams was fired, wrote Sarah Palin, “for merely speaking frankly about the very real threat that this country faces from radical Islam.” But Williams wasn’t talking about the “threat…from radical Islam,” he was talking about anyone who looks Muslim. For Palin, it’s one and the same. This, of course, is exactly the attitude that animated the right’s opposition to the “ground zero” mosque: Since “Muslims attacked us on 9/11,” as O’Reilly famously declared on The View, Muslims are guilty until proven innocent. They lost their right to be treated like other Americans when the twin towers fell.

 

[Mr. T]

I think its funny that a lot of politicians are refusing to do interviews and answer questions to NPR reporters.

 

They have been black listed. And should be defunded.

 

It is a fact that George Soros donates so much money to NPR he owns them.

[heckofajobbrownie]

That's really not how NPR works. That's how people who have no idea what they're talking about can be convinced that it works.

 

The right-wing fascination with George Soros is rather comical. Not as funny as Woodrow Wilson, but it's up there.

[Mr. T]

Heck, you cant sit there and tell me that NPR isn't politically motivated from Soros. You just dont get it.

 

And Vivian Schiller is guilty of defamation of character with her comments on Juan. She has learned a lot while working with her old soviet buddies.

http://www.cyberjournalist.net/nprs-vivian...perlocal-media/

Here are what I have heard as her key points starting with two areas to avoid:

 

• That there is no silver bullet – such as get a big grant to support us as we are – she can see that as we are, we are not viable

• That finding the new minority niche is the holy grail – instead improve access for she feels that if we serve properly then all will be served by our content and by our connection – that the young, that minorities will find us and be involved if we are truly engaging and offer the access that meets their needs

Her big idea is a really really big tent that is a true network that uses all the power of a true network.

 

• The Uber News Network – The future of public media is to be found in a true network that comprises NPR, the Stations, PBS, The Citizens who live in the local communities and others who wish to serve the local community that may include the newspaper or the journalists who used to work at the local newspaper such as The Beacon in St Louis.

• That all involved have to see themselves as being more than broadcasters and to see themselves as widely serving the community – that we move beyond content to connection.

• That NPR goes out and works to help the stations.

• That we build all of this on the deep foundation of good will that exists.

I want to expand on this idea with supporting ideas from other people that have the respect of the system – for part of Vivian Schiller’s brilliance is that she is an exceptional listener and has been ingesting the thoughts and the mood of the system.

 

The Uber News Network

 

The Opportunity – By 2011, it is likely that much of the media of today will be gone. Many communities will be without a paper or a local TV station. If things continue the way that they are, the economy may be far worse and much of the effort to save us all will be seen as having failed. The nation will be starved for meaning.

 

Today, only a few parts of the media are offering Meaning to America and indeed to the world. It is a remarkable achievement that Planet Money is cited by both the Senate and by the Secretary of the Treasury as the ideal place to find language and an approach that makes the crisis possible to understand. The NewsHour is doing the same kind of work as is Bill Moyers.

 

This is not gotcha journalism. This is meaning making and it is almost exclusively available on Public Radio, TV and now the web.Now all the key content is available at at any time on the web. It would be a simple matter to curate a local page that would have every news source in one easy to find place.

 

More. Public Insight journalism is growing and the expertise of the community is being brought into the mix. More, on Planet Money, that had learned to connect to an audience in its proto version, BPP, a huge amount of material comes in from a passionate group of supporters.

 

Imagine then a system that had it all. Global, National, Regional and Hyper Local – Pro Journalist and expert blogger – all working together to give us the help is finding meaning in these mysterious and frightening times?

 

Vivian Schiller’s big idea is to fill this void of meaning by bringing all of this power to make meaning together. Her big idea is to create so much value that the system gets supported for this.

 

http://www.fastforwardblog.com/2009/03/06/...h-on-the-bones/

 

 

[heckofajobbrownie]

You're right. I don't get it. I have no idea what you're talking about.

 

Soros doesn't have a say in what NPR does and doesn't do. He doesn't have editorial power. He's not involved. He donates money because he thinks they're a worthy cause, like the millions of other donors to public broadcasting, small and large.

 

Here. Have a tote bag.

[Mr. T]

What is your take on Vivian Schiller?

[heckofajobbrownie]

I don't know anything about her. And you didn't either until 15 minutes ago, when you decided that she's a Communist.

 

 

[Mr. T]

So she thinks like you then.

[heckofajobbrownie]

She's almost as bad as Woodrow Wilson. How's that?

[Mr. T]

who did they clone you guys from?

[heckofajobbrownie]

I am genetically engineered from the stem cells of fascists past. I've come for your guns and your freedom.

 

I've come for your guns and your freedom.

 

I've come for your guns and your freedom.

 

I've come for your guns and your freedom.

 

I've come for your guns and your freedom.

 

I've come for your guns and your freedom.

 

I've come for your guns and your freedom.

 

I've come for your guns and your freedom.

 

I've come for your guns and your freedom.

 

I've come for your guns and your freedom.

 

 

[Mr. T]

I see thay are placing warning signs about your kind.

 

They even got a good profile pic of you

 

 

 

[calfoxwc]

By the way, NPR, for all the shit its getting now, is clearly one of the best news outlets we have, especially when it comes to international news. And people who liken it to the left's version of Fox, or an outlet that does liberal advocacy, have no clue what they're talking about. Heck

 

*******************************

 

Actually, I was watching Hannity, and on the panel, in the middle, was some guy who worked for PBS for many years.

 

 

He said PBS was so left it was awful. And he said NPR was far left of PBS.

 

 

Natually, you think NPR is the best. You live in a warped world, Heck. Sad.

[heckofajobbrownie]

You're right. I mean that Sean Hannity is the best source for journalism.

[Alo]

What would be the big difference?

WSS

The threat level is higher, but it's still minuscule: even at the most violent point of the Intifada, an Israeli was more likely to be killed in a car accident than a terrorist attack.

 

But these fears do exist, even if they're irrational. Not sure how you get rid of them, but it's important not to reinforce them.

[Westside Steve]

The threat level is higher, but it's still minuscule: even at the most violent point of the Intifada, an Israeli was more likely to be killed in a car accident than a terrorist attack.

 

But these fears do exist, even if they're irrational. Not sure how you get rid of them, but it's important not to reinforce them.

 

 

Well they do tend to be overreported and overreacted to.

Still at various times people could be rightly concened about travel to say Jerusalem Tehran Belfast JNuevo Laredo etc.

 

Then again Williams' remarks have been overreacted to as well.

WSS

[calfoxwc]

You're right. I mean that Sean Hannity is the best source for journalism. Heck

***********************************

 

Read again, you goof. Hannity was NOT the SOURCE.

 

It was a guest on the show.

 

That KNOWS what he's talking about. as in, you don't, because, apparently?

 

you don't comprehend what you read.

 

[heckofajobbrownie]

Well they do tend to be overreported and overreacted to.

Still at various times people could be rightly concened about travel to say Jerusalem Tehran Belfast JNuevo Laredo etc.

 

Then again Williams' remarks have been overreacted to as well.

WSS

 

And on both sides.

[heckofajobbrownie]

Here's Michael Tomasky answering your question, Steve:

 

f you’re any kind of liberal at all, even in the softest and most non-political possible sense, [going on Fox is] basically an indefensible thing to do. Fox News wants liberalism to perish from the face of the earth. Going on their air on a regular basis and lending your name and reputation to their ideological razzle-dazzle is like agreeing to be the regular kulak guest columnist at Pravda in 1929. For “balance.”

[Westside Steve]

Here's Michael Tomasky answering your question, Steve:

 

f you’re any kind of liberal at all, even in the softest and most non-political possible sense, [going on Fox is] basically an indefensible thin g to do. Fox News wants liberalism to perish from the face of the earth. Going on their air on a regular basis and lending your name and reputation to their ideological razzle-dazzle is like agreeing to be the regular kulak guest columnist at Pravda in 1929. For “balance.”

Now that's a rational response.

WSS

[DieHardBrownsFan]

Here's Michael Tomasky answering your question, Steve:

 

f you’re any kind of liberal at all, even in the softest and most non-political possible sense, [going on Fox is] basically an indefensible thing to do. Fox News wants liberalism to perish from the face of the earth. Going on their air on a regular basis and lending your name and reputation to their ideological razzle-dazzle is like agreeing to be the regular kulak guest columnist at Pravda in 1929. For “balance.”

 

 

What a pussy ass response. Shouldn't be surprised, considering it's coming from you and the people you emulate.