NPR has placed themselves in an untenable situation.
After the debacle of Juan Williams absurd firing, any of their analysts or reporters who want to make money as contributors on Fox News should now have carte blanche. NPR can't fire Mara Liasson. If they do, they prove what everyone knows, not just the conservatives --- it's a lib media outlet.
Of course, they should also
have to fire Mara Liasson based on their rationale for firing Juan. She expresses her opinions sitting right next to Juan every Sunday and at other times, too.
NPR would also have to fire Nina Totenberg, Terry Gross and well, Vivian Schilling, NPR's CEO.
One of the reasons given for firing Williams in an internal NPR email by Schilling was "analysts may not take personal public positions on controversial issues; doing so undermines their credibility as analysts, and that’s what’s happened in this situation. As you all well know, we offer views of all kinds on your air every day, but those views are expressed by those we interview – not our reporters and analysts."
Right after issuing that she spoke publicly about the situation making references to Williams psychiatrist, inferring he was seeing one regarding his views. Views I might add that are shared by most libs and conservatives and even many Muslim Americans. Schilling rambled on, giving her opinions about the situation and, in my opinion, she opened NPR up to a slam-dunk lawsuit from Williams. Slam-dunk as long as the case doesn't end up in front of a lib activist judge.
If NPR is serious about the reasons they gave for firing Williams, then they need to clean house. I've been listening to NPR for countless years. My drive back and forth to work used to take 45 or more minutes each way. I enjoyed NPR then and still have it on my radio dial and listen to some of the shows. I had to quit listening to some of the shows I used to enjoy simply because there was so much Bush bashing, trashing of conservatives, and now they go after the Tea Party and others.
Listen to NPR for any length of time and Schilling's assertion that views are expressed by those they interview, not their reporters and analysts is cow poop.
All day yesterday I saw examples on TV and via the Internet of their so-called balanced reporters and analysts bigoted comments in regards to conservatives. They are down-right nasty in some of the comments they've made on ABC, NBC, CNN and other outlets.
Newsbusters has documented a list that is damning and they only touched on a few examples.
The hypocrisy of NPR is appalling.
The donation of over a million dollars by George Soros with all the stipulations he included is interesting, possibly sinister.
I'd like to see what would happen if George Bush, Karl Rove or some other conservative NPR and friends likes to trash made a donation with similar restrictions. What if they wanted NPR to hire 100 conservative reporters? Sponsor conservative programs? How many of you think that all of a sudden there's be a policy violation of some sort that kept them from accepting the money with strings?
NPR needs to 'fess up, get honest. Then they need to learn to stand on their own two feet and get off tax-funded welfare. If they have programming that America wants to hear then they should be able to survive without living off the federal teat and begging for money.
Speaking of begging for money, this is their annual fund-raising week. I would bet that every lib out there is ponying up right now to ensure they have a big week just to make a point. I would also bet that phone lines are going to be tied up with people complaining about the firing of Juan Williams.
I need something to make me giggle... I think I'm going to call and make a nice donation to NPR this week with some strings... re-hire Juan Williams, fire Schilling.
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NPR's Nina Totenberg Dismisses Tea Parties as 'Cockamamie'
NPR's Nina Totenberg on Friday night was unsure as to whether the tea parties have "any legs are not" since "at almost any given time any cockamamie proposition in America will have at least 25 percent of those polled supporting it." On Inside Washington she called the anti-tax and anti-spending rallies "a good stunt," before declaring Americans "pay relatively small taxes" and then lecturing those unappreciative protesters about how taxes provide, as if they want taxes totally eliminated, "a civilized kind of social compact where you don't have massive civil eruptions. That is what taxes are for." To which, Newsweek's Evan Thomas chimed in: "I'm all for paying more taxes."
Christine M. Flowers: Foul air at National Public Radio
By Christine M. Flowers
Philadelphia Daily News
AFEW months ago, Mississippi Public Radio temporarily dropped "Fresh Air," the program hosted by local legend Terry Gross. The reason given was the program's "gratuitous discussions on issues of an explicit sexual nature." Read more:
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/columnists/20101022_Christine_M__Flowers__Foul_air_at_National_Public_Radio.html#ixzz135NBwGBr
Terry Gross and Bill O'Reilly: Round Two
This is a partial transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," Sept. 21, 2004, that has been edited for clarity.
Watch "The O'Reilly Factor" weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET and listen to the "Radio Factor!"
BILL O'REILLY, HOST: About a year ago, I appeared on NPR's "Fresh Air" program, hosted by Terry Gross (
search), to talk about my book, "Who's Looking Out for You," now out in paperback. The interview became very, very controversial. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,133177,00.html