NPR's Firing of Juan Williams Was Poorly Handled

NPR.org ^ | 10/21/2010 | ALICIA SHEPARD

[FunkyZero]

After reading the thing, this is the part that gave me a chuckle:

"In 2008, I received 378 emails complaining about remarks Williams made on Fox – but I heard very little about his comments on NPR. "

They are unable to deduce the simple fact that nobody listens to NPR, Juan got exposure to an actual audience on FOX.

This is funny stuff... and I'll be Juan is laughing all the way to the bank and forwarding all calls from NPR directly to his lawyer.

Additionally, the other comment:

"What Williams said was deeply offensive to Muslims and inflamed, rather than contributing positively, to an important debate about the role of Muslims in America."

I will respectfully disagree. This is criticism that muslims should embrace if they truly want peace and to repair their image. If it's not true, they need to make a public spectacle of the exact opposite. It's about repairing their image as a whole. Where is the campaign from all of these peaceful muslims to denounce violence? Why are they themselves, not fighting this so-called fringe group of violent muslims who do not share their beliefs in peace?

I'll tell you why, a muslim is a muslim. Juan was right and anyone with any sense of self-preservation can smell danger and see it for what it is.

I don't know why anyone would even need to explain this, it's so obvious.

[dawn53]

I’ve been meaning to ask: Isn’t Garrison Keillor financed by public radio? I know he’s no news analyst, but in his show and in his public statements, he hurled hostile and mean spirited diatribes toward Bush...didn’t seem to bother NPR at all.

[Caipirabob]

What I keep picking up on is how surprised that Juan Williams was. That he was, understandably, in shock over how this was handled.

To me it indicates that there was no previous grounds for him to expect or anticipate any such treatment. Yes, his appearances on FOX may have irritated some, but they hardly amounted to the emnity with which he was treated and shown the door once this "Shiller" fool got all huffed up. This was all simply a purile act of political retribution with a multi million dollar broadcasting company's reputation and future funding at risk.

The fact is, he truly did nothing wrong, unless one is a commie. All the bluster coming from NPR right now is going to become a massive publicity nightmare. Juan, who is "crying" all the way to the back, is going to have the last laugh on this one way or another.

I doubt Shiller is at risk for her job...immediately, but the damage she has done to NPR will be irreparable for years to come.

And I don't think she'll be getting any 2 million dollar contracts from FOX any time soon.

[SES1066]

Juan Williams once again got himself into trouble with NPR for comments he made at his other job, at Fox News.

This first line needs to be corrected, based upon the current and likely future repercussions ...

NPR once again got itself into trouble with the American Public for demonstrating an absolute liberal bias in its firing of COMMENTATOR Juan Williams over remarks made on a different network.

[kearnyirish2]

Je$$e Jackson is a joke, as is anyone who refers to him as “reverend”. Haven’t seen any pictures of him with his daughter or baby-mama since that little tidbit was released in retaliation for the W drunk driving story...I guess he’s not helping her with her homework?

[RGSpincich]

FOX News was really the intended target in this fiasco. Unfortunately, NPR suffered the greatest amount of collateral damage.

What's so unfortunate about that?

[kearnyirish2]

I don’t think Fox would have rescued him if he was white; he’s a token (and a victim of the game he himself played for a very long time).

[detch]

Was this article about NPR making the wrong decision, or did Alicia Shepard feel the need to pile it onto Juan Williams herself.

What a ridiculous article — this woman wants it both ways, and can’t even figure out how to say it.

NPR SUCKS, it always has been a liberal bastion of slantspeak.

[kittymyrib]

NPR: The Dhimmi Channel

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

John Kerry was in Vietnam?

You don't say! Wouldn't something like that have been in papers or on TV or something? Strange, how no one's heard about it.

[Madame Dufarge]

I hope this Schiller...thing....has her job for life at PBS.

She's the living, breathing best argument for defunding the lefty propaganda machine; I want her out there every day disgorging full-throated denunciations of her paymasters (us).

Dig deep, Schiller; you can do it!

[miss marmelstein]

Wow! What a self-pitying, blinkered version of events this is. Obviously, NPR hires some of the dumbest, most insulated people on the planet. For shame!

[jimbo123]

Contact NPR’s sponsors. This is their most recently released list.

$1 million+

Angie’s List
General Motors Corporation
Lumber Liquidators
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
Novo Nordisk
Progressive Casualty Insurance
Company
Prudential Financial
State Farm Mutual Automobile
Insurance Company

$500,000 - $999,999

Cargill
Citibank
Constant Contact
Constellation Energy Group
Focus Features
iShares
LendingTree
Lenovo
Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation
NetApp
Pajamagram Company
Saturn
Sit4Less.com
Subaru of America
T. Rowe Price
UPS
Vanguard Group

$250,000 – $499,999
Alliance for Climate Protection
American Public Transportation
Association
CITGO Petroleum Corporation
CSX Corporation
Feeding America
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Kashi Company
MasterCard
National Association of Realtors
Netflix
Overture Films
Pabst Brewing Company
PBS
Raymond James Financial Services
Travel Guard
Universal Pictures
Visa
Warner Home Video

$100,000 - $249,999

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
ABC
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
Bantam Dell Publishing Group
Better World Club
CarFax
Caterpillar
Civic Ventures
Dogpile.com
Economist
Enterprise Florida
FIJI Water Company
FX Networks
Gary Group
HBO
HoMedics
Hyatt Corporation
Institute for Supply Management
Intel Corporation
Johnson Controls
Lindamood-Bell Learning Systems
MGM
Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Pictures
Philips Healthcare
POM Wonderful
REI
Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
U.S. Bank
Vestas Wind Systems
Walden University
Yahoo!

$50,000 - $99,999

American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association
Anheuser-Busch Companies
Apple
Bank of America
BP
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Clorox Company
CNN
Columbia University
Concord Records
Consumer Reports
Discovery Networks
Disney Channel
Dow Chemical Company
Earth Share
Ethanol Promotion and
Information Council
FOX Broadcasting Company
Gynecologic Cancer Foundation
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
New Line Cinema
Random House Audio
Sony Pictures
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Summit Entertainment
Toyota Motor Corporation
Union of Concerned Scientists
Universal Music Group
University of Michigan School
of Social Work
University of South Carolina
VH1
VisitBritain
Weight Watchers International

Under $49,999

AARP
Air Products
Alaska Airlines
American Society of Clinical Oncology
American Wind Energy Association
ATO Records
Bear Mountain Master Partnership
Blue Note Records
Bose Corporation
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
CBS
Charles Schwab & Co.
ConocoPhillips Company
CSK Auto Corporation
Dominican University
Elsevier
Epson
FirstLook Studios Home Entertainment
Freestyle Releasing
Global Giving
Harvard University Press
Hatchette Book Group USA
History
History International
Kroger Co.
Liberated Arts
Louisiana Public Broadcasting
MassMutual Financial Group
Miramax Films
National Association of Professional
Organizers
Nettwerk Music Group
New York Times
Ovation TV
Peace Music
Picturehouse
Plume
Premise Media
RED Music
Roadside Attractions
Showtime Networks
Sony BMG
Strand Releasing
Thomas Nelson
Trend Micro
Unity Productions Foundation
University of Chicago
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Music Group
WaterPartners International
WGBH
Wild Birds Unlimited
Zale Corporation

[scrabblehack]

I think Jesse Jackson actually did say something to that effect.

[LaMudBug]

When is shooting yourself in the foot an act of suicide?

Why, it is when your foot is stuck in your mouth....

[HiTech RedNeck]

And yet the Saudis who own a significant minority share of Fox just grinned and winked. It don’t add up.

[Iron Munro]

Yep. There are two winners in this rat fight: Juan and FOX News with NPR CEO Vivian Schiller as the loser.

This is probably the best thing to happen to Juan in his career. He got a big pay raise and becomes an overnight cause célèbre on the right and the left. Now everyone in the USA except Vivian Schiller has discovered they have really, really liked Juan all along.

As for FOX, the management was astute enough to immediately see Juan was an instant Hot Property. They added him to their full time staff in a way that makes FOX look generous and open minded while reinforcing the idea tha NPR is, at best, clueless and unappreciative.

The contrast is clear: NPR terminated him for speaking honestly while FOX has him in front of the public free wheeling details and commentary on his NPR termination. That has to be pulling in viewers for FOX.

At the same time NPR and Schiller are being publically raked over the coals and each press release seems to make her look less and less professional and more and more petty and incompetent.

[Daffynition]

Your question falls just a wee short of a koan. ;)

[MediaMole]

A quick google search turns up these writings by the unbiased doctor from Virginia...

Letter to Obama: You’ve Sold Your Soul for Kosher Dollars

http://palestinethinktank.com/2010/05/12/letter-to-obama-youve-sold-your-soul-for-kosher-dollars/

Americans Count Ballots While Palestinians Count Bodies

http://www.mediamonitors.net/khodr1.html

He’s a long-time muslim activist writer. He’s no unbiased letter writer who was moved to act solely by William’s comment.

[BunnySlippers]

I agree with everything you said.

This also shines a honkin’ big spotlight on NPR and whether we should be spending tax dollars on it. This time we MAY get funding pulled.

And ... we may see a new Juan Williams, Yesterday, he rocked. If you missed it, catch the long version on YouTube. He seems like a man who has suddenly seen his path.