National Public Radio (NPR) fired news analyst Juan Williams two days after he appeared on the “The O’Reilly Factor,” the Fox News program hosted by the conservative commentator Bill O’ Reilly. In the program he said that he was nervous while flying next to a passenger in Muslim attire. He had gone on to clarify that one should not brand all Muslims terrorists. His careless comments came under fire almost immediately with the CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations addressing the issue with NPR. He was hired on the very next day by the Fox News Channel, thus bringing to attention two different forms of journalism that exists.
In an essay published by Williams on the website of Fox News, he gave vent to his thoughts. He said that NPR did not tolerate diversity in opinions or ideas and that speech and ideology was thrust upon the journalists working with them.
NPR defended their decision to fire Williams saying that his comments were not consistent with their standard and practice. They felt that he had violated their core principle of impartiality and in doing so he had offended many people. The senior management of NPR added that this is not the first time that Williams’ public comments had caused concern.
The public outcry has been huge as the debate of the limits of free speech grows. There have been demands to cut funds to the NPR after the move to fire Williams revealed their left wing tendencies. Prominent personalities feel that many people feel the same way that Williams felt and that it was not right to fire him just because he was open about the way he felt.
Free Press, a nonprofit advocating media reform, went public with the comment that it is time to stop playing politics with the nation’s public media system. The request to stop funds to NPR is just political attention seeking gimmicks.
