NPR fires Juan Williams because of comments on Muslims (BillO strikes again)

[Pirate Smile]

NPR Ends Analyst’s Contract After Comments on Muslims

NPR has terminated its contract with Juan Williams, one of its senior news analysts, after he made comments about Muslims on the Fox News Channel.

-snip-
The move came after Mr. Williams, who is also a Fox News political analyst, appeared on the “The O’Reilly Factor” on Monday. On the show, the host, Bill O’Reilly, asked him to respond to the notion that the United States was facing a “Muslim dilemma.” Mr. O’Reilly said, “The cold truth is that in the world today jihad, aided and abetted by some Muslim nations, is the biggest threat on the planet.”

Mr. Williams said he concurred with Mr. O’Reilly.
He continued: “I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.”

-snip-
NPR said in its statement that the remarks “were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR.”

-snip-
Alicia C. Shepard, the NPR ombudswoman, said at the time that Mr. Williams was a “lightning rod” for the public radio organization in part because he “tends to speak one way on NPR and another on Fox.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/business/media/21npr.html?_r=3&src=twt&twt=nytimesbusiness

[hlthe2b]

1. well after years of this kind of Faux News sycophancy from williams,

I say, it is about time, though he has said far worse over the years. The irony is that he has a very liberal sister. Go figure.

[HuckleB]

5. Will he get a full time gig at Faux, or will he replace what's his name at CNN or was it MSNBC?

[hlthe2b]

11. Who do you mean? Lou Dobbs? Rick Sanchez?

My guess is he'll go full time for Faux.

[47of74]

26. My guess too

I think he'll be a full time employee at FoxPAC...excuse me, I meant FOX "News" before too long.

[Ken Burch]

2. Anytime ANYBODY uses the phrase "I'm not a bigot".....They've just proved that they are.

It's right up there with "some of my best friends are..."

[HuckleB]

9. I don't know about that...

... but it's certainly right up there with, I'm ok with green peppers, but I can't digest those yellow peppers.

[Zoeisright]

17. You're right.

Same as when someone is constantly mentioning the Bible or Christianity - they're trying to prove something.

[Wickerman]

3. Good on NPR

He's been an embarrassment for way too long.

[Ramulux]

4. I'm glad

I read that quote the other day and it made me fucking sick. No one should ever hire that guy for anything ever again. Its kind of funny how agreeing with Bill O'Reilly can get you fired for ethical misconduct.

[tularetom]

6. If NPR is gonna fire people with no credibility

why is Cokie Roberts still employed there?

Good riddance to that asshat Juan Williams but it does seem a bit hypocritical.

[HuckleB]

10. Probably because no one is listening when she is on the radio.

[Ken Burch]

19. I want some ABC techie to do a reverse "Lena Lamont's comeuppance" on Cokie

Which would mean, the next time she does a fake stand-up in front of a video of the White House or something, they suddenly switch the backdrop footage to WWE or a Keystone Kops film or maybe "Keyboard Cat".

[rpannier]

7. Bye Bye Juan

Don't feel bad. I'm sure Bill will provide you a shoulder to cry on.

Juan will probably go with the non-apology, apology

"I'm sorry, if anyone was offended."

[CreekDog]

8. Not that I'll miss Juan Williams

he was an uninspired choice.

but yikes to whomever NPR is considering replacing him with.

[glinda]

12. good riddens

[G_j]

13. good! nt

[patrice]

14. Maybe they can get Ray Suarez back? . . . I wish!!

[stevedeshazer]

15. He got fired for THAT?

I'm no fan of Juan Williams, but every toady who is on NPR will take notice. NPR sends a bad message here in my opinion.

I know a lot of folks here worship NPR, but this is no surprise.

Who is next? Mara Liasson?

[spooky3]

28. given her many involuntary "appearances" at Mediamatters.org, I'd say Liasson

SHOULD go next.

[spanone]

16. anyone who has to say..'i'm not a bigot' is probably a bigot

[EFerrari]

18. Good. He's horrendous. n/t

[Number23]

20. Good. Bigotry towards Muslims seems to be actively ENCOURAGED now

I'm so sick of this isht I don't know what to do.

[laughingliberal]

21. K & R nt

[DavidDvorkin]

22. This wasn't BillO striking again

This was Juan Williams exposing his own bigotry.

[uppityperson]

23. Wow, good for NPR

[travelingtypist]

24. Oy.

Part of me is saying now if NPR would just fire Mara, then FOX News Sunday loses the NPR patina of "credibility," not that they'd care. I just always hated the introductions of Juan and Mara from NPR. It made that show seem more respectable than it every deserved to be.

[nilram]

25. He has been so right-wing for years! Rec this UP!

One way on NPR and another way on FOX? You mean he speaks like a Republican on NPR and like a tea-partier on FOX? Ok, then, that I could agree with.

Buh-bye, Juan!

[democracy1st]

27. Amen

[stubtoe]

29. This appearance seems to have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

He's been a pain in the ass to the ombudsman for years now.

Juan Williams, NPR and Fox News

ps: the NPR articles are swamped with comments.

[BrklynLiberal]

30. and it figures that Huckabee and Gingrich are w hining about free speech. Inciting hate and bigotry

are the only form of "free speech" they know.

Personally, I am thrilled that NPR dumped that asshole Williams. Almost restores my faith in NPR.
:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[spooky3]

31. Yahoo! is reporting that he was given a job offer by Fox.

What a shock.