Juan Williams was fired last week from NPR for stating on a different talk show/network that when he boards a plane and sees “people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.”
Juan has been an analyst for NPR (National Public Radio) for over ten years. In firing him, NPR stated that “his views regarding Muslims were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR."
Seems to me he stated a politically incorrect opinion that most of us agree with quietly and for that he was fired. I struggle with an analyst losing his tenured job over stating an opinion. That’s what they do. Anytime someone on a talk show asks the analyst “what do you think about that?” we at home expect them to answer. Opinions are what they do these days. And frankly, I like that Juan answered the question that day realistically.
At AZ-TV, Pat McMahon has been doing commentaries and analysis daily since the station went on-air in 2002. Everyday he comes up with a commentary that stops to make you think. I don’t always agree with Pat but his insight and “throwing his thoughts out” make him unique and relevant. NPR executives should put their heads in the sand for firing Juan Williams. He simply stated what most of us think as we travel. Is it right for us to think that way? No. But the dialogue he creates by bringing up difficult topics is what makes his opinion relevant.
Same with Pat McMahon’s daily commentaries.
NPR is supposed to be an unbiased news organization and takes pride in their version of fair and balanced news. On the firing of Juan Williams, they lost part of their integrity as a news organization. The Juan Williams' and Pat McMahon’s of journalism are badly needed in today’s fragmented news media. They bring reasonableness to unreasonable life circumstances.
NPR showed their true colors of what they are becoming. Be careful because if you lose your relevance as a company financed by tax payers and relevance to fair and balanced news on both sides of the spectrum, we tax payers may tell you to take a hike some day.
Jeff
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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Being politically correct has done us harm. Being politically INcorrect doen't have to densenitize us to other nationalities, races and creeds. I don't think Juan Williams comment was at all insensitive or out-of-line because he is a COMMENTATOR, NOT A JOURNALIST!
ReplyDeleteI listen to NPR's Morning Edition on a regular basis and as the program's major underwriters are announced I wonder how much influence they had on NPR making the decision to fire Williams. (Let's face it, in this crappy economy we know tax payers are unable to solely support NPR!)
Furthermore our society is rather hypocritical to demand Political Correctness and then laugh at Politically INcorrect vulgar comedians like Daniel Tosh who jokes about abortion and other serious issues.
Things are so unbalanced in our society. I think despite hard times, the majority of the country are spoiled, ungrateful, over-sensitive brats. Unfortunately I have to practice PC because I can't afford to lose my job or a law suit. Fortunately for Williams, he gets a $2 million contract from Fox News.