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Npr

October 21, 2010 by · Comments Off on Npr 

Npr, Sarah Palin and Republican Mike Huckabee are calling for the National Public Radio stripped of public funding in response to the termination of the contributor Juan Williams, who was fired from the radio station on Wednesday in response to comments he made about the Muslims on Fox News earlier this week.

“At a time when our country is dangerously debt and searching for areas to cut federal spending, I think we found a good candidate for defunding. National Public Radio is a public institution that directly or indirectly fund exists because the taxpayers, “wrote Sarah Palin in a message on his Facebook wall on Thursday. “What we the taxpayers, get it? We got to witness Juan Williams of NPR dismissed simply for speaking out about the very real threat this country faces from radical Islam.” Add Link

“We have to have an honest debate about the jihadist threat,” he continued.

Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee also asked government defunding NPR, condemning the decision to dismiss Williams as “censorship.”

“Although I enjoyed many times appear on NPR programs and have been treated fairly and objectively, and will not accept interview requests from NPR, if you will practice a form of censorship, and since NPR is funded public funds, is a form of censorship, “Huckabee said in a statement released Thursday. “It is time for taxpayers to begin making cuts in federal spending, and encourage the new Congress to begin with NPR.”

The controversy arose after Williams, a veteran senior news analyst for National Public Radio, said during an appearance on Fox News (for whom he also is a contributor) that gets “nervous” when he sees the Muslims on flights his plane.

“I think, see, political correctness can lead to some kind of paralysis where you do not refer to reality,” Williams told Bill O’Reilly during an appearance on Monday.

Williams continued: .. “I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a fan you know the kind of books I have written about the civil rights movement in this country, but when I get on the plane, I have to say, if I see people who are in Muslim dress and I think, you know, are identifying themselves Muslims first, I am concerned. I get nervous. ”

Today, Williams spoke of his termination on Fox News, saying the decision to fire him was made before anyone NPR spoke with him and that he was denied the opportunity to defend his remarks in a meeting face to face.

He said he asked what was “meant” in a phone call Ellen Weiss, NPR’s Senior Vice President of News.

“I said, ‘I said what he meant” it is an honest experience at an airport when I see people in Islamic dress who identify first the Muslims, who do a double take, I have a moment of anxiety or fear in view of what happened on 9 / 11. That is the reality, “he told Williams.

Weiss said Williams then suggested that he had crossed the line and made a bigoted statement that its contract had been terminated, and that there was “nothing I could say” I change my mind or reverse the decision of NPR.

NPR CEO Vivian Schiller sent a statement Thursday saying that “John comments on Fox violated our standards and our values and offended many in it.”

. “Like other news organizations, NPR expects its reporters to stay away from situations that might call their impartiality into question the ethics code NPR explains the rule as follows:” In what appears on television or other means, including electronic web-based forums, NPR journalists should not express opinions that do not air in its role as a journalist for NPR. They should not participate in programs of electronic forums, or blogs that promote expert opinion and speculation rather than an analysis based on the facts, ‘”wrote Schiller.

In an interview with Rodney Ho Access Atlanta on Thursday, Schiller went on to say that Williams’ statements about Muslims that was not the only consideration leading to his termination. “John is not an employee of the NPR. He is an independent contractor,” he said, adding that “this has been an ongoing problem” in his case.

“There have been several instances in the last couple of years where we have been John has crossed the line. It’s known for something he said last year of Michelle Obama and Stokely Carmichael. This is not a case of a strike and you’re out – continued Shiller.

Schiller also responded to claims that the dismissal amounted to censorship Williams as “NPR is publicly funded.”

“There is a misperception about federal funding and public radio,” said Schiller. “NPR receives no allocation of the CEC. Zero.” CPB is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a nonprofit corporation semi-private partnership that promotes public awareness through federal funds

Schiller continued: “We are a private 501 (c) 3 We have reporters call and ask which department of government to inform That’s ridiculous Have you listened to our shows we are competitive grants applicable to the …? Likes Ford Foundation and the Knight Foundation. As a result, some money from the CEC comes to us when we won grants. Depending on the year, representing just three percent of our total budget. ”

“There is lack of information both in the blogosphere, it’s crazy,” said Schiller.

Juan Williams Fired

October 21, 2010 by · Comments Off on Juan Williams Fired 

Juan Williams Fired, Juan Williams is officially out of the NPR. NPR announced Wednesday night that ended the contract of veteran analyst at Williams for his comments on Fox News that when he is in a plane with Muslims, “I get nervous.” In a statement, NPR said it had informed Williams of his decision Wednesday night, and that his comments were “inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and has undermined its credibility as a news analyst for NPR.” Williams had been an NPR contributor and analyst for decades, but his dual role at Fox News, where he has also been a contributor to long and frequent, drew many complaints from listeners of NPR asked Fox News to stop the identification Williams as a “political analyst NPR News” in 2009. The co-signing with Bill O’Reilly certainly has implications for a brother. It is clear that Williams’s eyes are no longer on the prize. If so, we can not say.

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