tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170153019972770182011-07-28T11:27:51.013-07:00mackerelsnaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957468473613267527noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-217015301997277018.post-42781211321891668542010-10-22T14:02:00.000-07:002010-10-22T14:21:43.513-07:00In a glaring assault on the right to free speech, National Public Radio fired journalist Juan Williams over remarks he made October 18, on "The O'Reilly Factor." Williams, after being asked to comment on O'Reilly's controversial statements on "The View" the week before, said that he gets "nervous" and "worried" when he is on a plane and sees people "in Muslim garb."<br /><br />The ten-year NPR analyst then went on to explain that we should not be prejudiced against all Muslims just because a group of Muslims were at fault in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Williams used this as an example to illustrate how journalists should not categorize or judge an entire group solely on the actions of some of its members.<br /><br />Despite the clearly articulated point Williams made on the Fox News show, NPR contacted him two days later to inform him that his contract with them would be terminated because he had "violated NPR's value for editorial commentary." Although his comment was not made on an NPR program - and he was not introduced on the program with any affiliation to NPR, at the corporation's request - his remarks were supposedly evidence of bigotry and that was the end of it. When Williams asked to meet with his superior, Ellen Weiss, in person, he was denied.<br /><br />Since the incident, the CEO of National Public Radio, Vivian Schiller, has made several statements denying that Williams was fired due to his frequent appearances on Fox News. In addition, Schiller said that Williams should speak to someone about the "bigoted" views he expressed on "The O'Reilly Factor," naming "his psychiatrist" as an option.<br /><br />In the aftermath of the controversy, Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich began pushing Congress to defund NPR. A small percentage of the corporation's funding comes from taxpayer money, a fact that has outraged many of the conservatives in Congress, especially after this latest, and perhaps most outrageous issue.<br /><br />After the incident, Williams was signed to a three-year, $2 million contract with none other than Fox News.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/217015301997277018-4278121132189166854?l=straightfromdc.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>mackerelsnaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09957468473613267527noreply@blogger.com0