HOLD IT. Really??? So little interest in the firing of the head of NPR News???

[snot]

Does anyone else remember how many liberally-oriented journalists have been forced out/encouraged to leave during the last ten years, because they expressed opinions not to the right of center?

I haven't even been trying to keep track; but off the top of my head . . . .

Chris Hedges forced out by The NYT because he dared object to the imminent invasion of Iraq.
The Ratherization.
Bill Moyers.
Phil Donahue.
Even Ted Koppel, who made a career out of hounding Jimmy Carter out of office for failing to win a game rigged against him (the Iran hostage crisis).
(Add your own.)

I don't know all the details of all these cases; and I'm not sure what the exact rules should be re- what journalists should be allowed to express on their own time. But aren't there a lot of conservative "journlists" who've expressed opinions about things, and not been fired/forced out?

And I think the conservatives are smart to have focussed (for decades or more) on media control as a lynchpin of their strategy.

And NPR has been under (successful) attack for years; and there are grounds for similar concern about the BBC (are you aware that, a few years ago, the rules were changed to provide that it's the Prime Minister -- at that time, Tony Blair -- who appoints all members to the BBC's governing body? Conflicts of interest, anyone?)

Powerful conservatives have always focussed on the lynchpins of power, such as media/mind control. So we must, too.

{Edited to add: the person fired was the head of NPR News, not NPR itself. But I hope you'll agree, same concerns apply.}

[meegbear]

1. You're right, I'm sorry ...

I should have responded sooner to something I haven't heard about until now.

[hlthe2b]

3. LOL...ditto. (!) so, are they serious? was the NPR head fired?

I'm so confused... but guilty, too, I guess. :eyes:

[bananas]

2. k&r based on the subject line

It's late and I don't have time to read the rest.
Hopefully there will be more light in the morning.

[snot]

4. NPR reported this story repeatedly during it's regular dinner-time news last night, so

I thought surely DU'er's would have heard it?

Details here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/01/06/132708700/review-of-juan-wiliams-firing-completed-npr-senior-vp-for-news-resigns?ft=1&f=100

OP edited to add: {Edited to add: the person fired was the head of NPR News, not NPR itself. But I hope you'll agree, same concerns apply.}

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Glad you posted.

I do not do radio or tv.....

But yes, the loss/absence of left of center MSM is noticable.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. first off, she resigned

and she handled the firing of Juan Williams very poorly

in spite of what you (or I) think of him, it was not done professionally or properly.


she should go

[leveymg]

7. What made her so progressive? It's not reflected in NPR News content.

Yes, they give more time to stories. But, with a few exceptions, it's the same spectrum of talking heads - center-right to right.

[snot]

8. That's part of the point. Let's not miss the forest for the trees.

There aren't many truly progressive people left in the media anywhere, bec. we're allowing conservatives to take over everywhere.

Re- the corporate media, since they already own it all, we can't stop them unless we restore restrictions on media ownership, which we should be trying to do.

But theoretically, WE the people own NPR. Again, if NPR ISN'T that progressive any more, it's because WE let conservatives get away with making it that way.

Maybe she should have been forced out; I don't know. Is anyone working on replacing her with someone MORE PROGRESSIVE?

Because you can bet your booty conservatives have their MORE CONSERVATIVE candidates lined up.