Juan Williams
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-10-26/juan-williams
Juan Williams is a political commentator for Fox News and until last week he was also a news analyst for NPR. He joined NPR in 1999 as the daily host of Talk of The Nation, and in recent years he’s served as an NPR senior national correspondent. His comments on Fox's The O'Reilly Factor last week prompted a seemingly abrupt dismissal from NPR. Juan Williams talks about his career, his roles as news analyst and commentator, and his reaction to the recent controversy over his dismissal from NPR.
Guests
Juan Williams
FOX News political contributor, former NPR news analyst and author of "Enough."
Related Video
Fox News political contributor and former NPR news analyst Juan Williams discusses his feelings about NPP management and the way in which he was fired last week following remarks he made on Fox's "The O'Reilly Factor." Williams described his exchange with NPR senior vice president for news, Ellen Weiss, from whom he received the news of his dismissal: "I asked Ellen Weiss, 'Do you have a conscience?'...she was carrying out orders. This was an execution from her point of view, I guess:"
"I'm a big fan of radio and public radio," Fox News political contributor and former NPR news analyst Juan Williams said in response to Diane's question about whether he meant to attack all of NPR's programming in his recent criticisms of the organization. Williams draws a distinction between local stations' programming decisions and those made at the national level at NPR's headquarters:
Diane's Complete Interview With Juan Williams: Part 1
Diane's Complete Interview With Juan Williams: Part 2
Diane's Complete Interview With Juan Williams: Part 3
Diane's Complete Interview With Juan Williams: Part 4
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Sorry, Jon, I'm afraid your facts are not accurate.
If you read the entire "Learn to Speak Tea Bag" link you would see that the presence of the blatantly offensive "cartoon" was brought to the attention of the NPR Ombudsman. Absolutely nothing was done. The link can still be found at the NPR website: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120344047
The NPR Ombudsman argument as to how the "Learn to Speak Tea Bag" piece meets their current editorial standards and policies is here:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2010/01/loud_protests_on_nprs_tea_par...
So, problems such as Nina Totenberg saying Jesse Helms and his grandchildren should die of AIDS if there's anything like retributive justice, continue to the present day. Does not Ms. Totenberg still appear on "Inside Washington" where she as an NPR correspondent gives political opinion?
And to say that she "allegedly" said this is really a pretty weak argument. Let's go to the tape, shall we? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7msrF1V4NeY
Is that not Nina Totenberg? Is that not her voice? Please provide the context that would make her remarks not offensive.
No, the truth is, NPR likes standards so much that it has a double standard. As long as you don't leave the left-wing reservation, you can pretty much say whatever you want to about conservatives, either on NPR or elsewhere.
Explain to me why Nina Totenberg still has a job at NPR.
Juan Williams is guilty of the same simplistic thinking that permeates our national debates on any number of topics. Doesn't Juan realize that religious freedom is the issue regarding Islamic "garb?" He displayed religious intolerance with his comment. I cannot respect a public commentator who doesn't think clearly before he speaks and doesn't understand the implications of what he says.
The intellectual dishonesty of NPR leadership is offensive to me, particularly in light of the opinionated comments offered by Cokie Roberts, Nina Tottenberg and others. What a disgrace. I have been a very generous supporter for 30 years... have been is the operative word! I'm finished with these frauds.
I haven't been able to understand what Juan Williams meant by "Muslim garb". The only distinctive Muslim attire that I'm aware of is worn by women--the hijab and the burka. Many Muslim men wear clothing characteristic of their cultures but not all Arabs or North Africans or Indonesians are Muslim. As far as I know, all of the men who have committed terrorist acts have worn western attire.
Excellent observation!!
Really Diane! Have we not heard enough of this?! I'm tunning out.
Juan,
Do you feel you would have been given the axe for your comments on Fox, had you been a white man, instead of black? In other words, was your firing a kind of punishment at the hands of a white woman for acting like an "uppity black man)?
Lorraine of Cleveland
Juan I had the pleasure of hearing you speak at Ohio University in Athens OHio. I was also able to ask you a question. I had read that there were numerous former employees at NPR who had claimed that there was a strong climate of "pervasive cronyism" at NPR when it came to individuals moving into talk show host seats and moving up line in other areas. From what I read there was an outside investigation into these claims and a report about those claims that was never released. Can you address the claims made against NPR's own internal climate?
And can you compare these past claims against NPR to the claims made against you... that your comment did not reflect the "ethics" and "standards" of NPR.
I was relieved when Mr. Williams was removed as an NPR commentator, although I did hear his comment as exactly what he now states it was - an individual expression of his own subjective experience. And I didn't think that the comment warrented the response from NPR.
I do think that there is more serious underlying issue with Mr. Williams work for NPR. I do not consider Fox news to be a news outlet at all and they do not espouse any of the values I consider fundamental to the craft of journalism. They are, in fact, quite freely dispensing a world view, a subjective reality that often reaches a pitch of religiosity. Certainly Fox and their viewers are entitled to this world view, as flawed and unrealistic as this view may be. But it isn't compatible with the ethics of real journalism.
I think that Mr. Williams' willingness to sign a contract with Fox news speaks for itself. I personally would urge journalists who value real investigative reporting, real news analysis and presentation, to hold an open and public debate about how Fox news conducts journalism. I think there must be a tendency to protect colleagues from too much scrutiny but this lack of real critique is damaging the credibility of all journalism.
The NPR firing of Juan Williams was overdue. In my view Mr. Williams lost much of his credibility as a serious journalist long before his comments on Muslims. It is his close association with a politically biased organization such as Fox News that in my mind destroyed his creditbiulity as an objective journalist and justified his termination by NPR.
Juan while I think your statement was inappropriate firing you was over the top. NPR's Schiller stated that your statement did not reflect NPR's "standards and ethics" I found her statement so hypocritical and selective. I have heard NPR talk show host including Diane Rehm Scott Simon, Neil Conan and Terri Gross allow unsubstantiated claims about Iran to be repeated and go unchallenged. I have not only heard NPR's Fresh Air host Terri Gross not only allow those inflammatory and unsubstantiated claims about Iran to be repeated and go unchallenged I have heard her repeat them endlessly herself.
I also hear NPR host put far more emphasis and value on Israeli lives lost and Palestinian lives in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. There have been studies that confirm this
Do you find some serious contradictions in what NPR is claiming to be their "journalistic ethics and standards" I sure do
Please, shut up already Mr. Williams. Time to turn off Diane Rehm, so sick of hearing a dead horse being beaten. Ugh.
I've mixed emotions: I'm glad to see anyone get in trouble for violating Orwell's last rule of decent political writing ('Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.'), but on the other hand, I have felt for Mr Williams ever since Jane Christo gave vent to _her_ own barbarity.
And, it must be said, that whenever anyone starts by saying "I'm not a bigot, but..." we have all been given fair warning that something bigoted will be said.
That is to say, having heard the total context of the remarks, I would be completely on Mr Williams' side if he had said something more like, "Unfortunately, I'm just enough of a bigot to...but that's as wrong as thinking anyone dressed as a Chasid, who is evidently putting their Jewish identity first, is going to swindle me in a business dealing," or even stuck to his McVeigh reference (though I think mine more apposite).
I just listened to the re-play of Juan Williams' dialog / shouting match with O'Reilly. To me his comments about Muslims on airplanes did not sound like a fireable offense. What was offensive, however, was how the dialog soon dissolved into two blathering loud-mouths trying to shout over each other. It was unlistenable. It's severely depressing that this is what passes for political/topical discourse in 2010. Whatever happened to give and take? Whatever happened to actually listening to what someone else says before making a response? Personally, I do not have cable television, so I am not subjected to the cable version of Fox, or to CNN, or to CNBC. I must say I feel like my brain and thoughts are considerably less scrambled than they possibly would be if I did pay attention to those channels, and the 24/7 news cycle. It's an unfortunate by-product of mass-media proliferation that such loud-mouthed blaring is what passes for news and discussion, and is accepted as such by such a large percentage of the US populace. It's time for everybody to turn off this junk and think for themselves. But I do not expect that that is going to happen.
Mr. Williams, you're a wonderful rationalizer. You must've given your mother headaches when you were a teenager!
I've still got one question: How can you appear on the Glenn Beck show and not confront him about the very racist and hateful remark Beck made when he said, "Barack Obama has a deep-seated hatred of white people."
The man is so clearly a racist.
So in retrospect you can see that they were using political means to hinder your work and opinion. The news analyst that you are could not see this until the moement you were fired? Mr. Williams, you are apparantly willing to work for money and integrity be damned, what ever happened to you, your past history does not have to lead you to this. You are a journalist, until you start to be a pundit/commentator on any network and then have forgotten your abilities.
Ms. Rehm, you happened to omit that Mr. Williams works for Fox with a new $2,000,000.00 contract. I say this because you have no problem reiterating every negative detail of this situation. Was it acceptable to fire him in the method he was fired, yes, was it tactful, no.
Perhaps this will mean something:
"Racism is a lazy man's substitute for using good judgment ... Common sense becomes racism when skin color becomes a formula for figuring out who is a danger to me." Substitute dress for color and you sir have become lazy by your own definition
mlkelemen wrote:
"I was relieved when Mr. Williams was removed as an NPR commentator, although I did hear his comment as exactly what he now states it was - an individual expression of his own subjective experience. And I didn't think that the comment warrented the response from NPR.
I do think that there is more serious underlying issue with Mr. Williams work for NPR. I do not consider Fox news to be a news outlet at all and they do not espouse any of the values I consider fundamental to the craft of journalism. They are, in fact, quite freely dispensing a world view, a subjective reality that often reaches a pitch of religiosity. Certainly Fox and their viewers are entitled to this world view, as flawed and unrealistic as this view may be. But it isn't compatible with the ethics of real journalism.
I think that Mr. Williams' willingness to sign a contract with Fox news speaks for itself. I personally would urge journalists who value real investigative reporting, real news analysis and presentation, to hold an open and public debate about how Fox news conducts journalism. I think there must be a tendency to protect colleagues from too much scrutiny but this lack of real critique is damaging the credibility of all journalism."
YES! Very well said.
Diane
I am happy that you are providing Juan this platform. My opinion of NPR continues in it's downward slide, this firing of Mr. WIlliams being just another strike against NPR.
I remain puzzled that NPR perceives all of its news shows as unbiased. Far from it. Your show, Diane, and Terry Gross' show are veiled in a very thin, transparent veneer that unsuccessfully attempts to cover your liberal opinions.
I now longer feel I can turn to NPR for balanced, factual stories. In fairness, some of the shows still strive to acheive this goal. However, yours and others do not. You ask leading questions, your remarks illustrate your political and (non) religious leanings, etc.....
Too bad, used to be a great forum
Two comments:
1) Juan was allegedly fired because he did not live up to the journalistic standards of NPR. Surely NPR also has standards with respect to how its employees are treated, and surely Vivian Schiller did not live up to those standards. Why hasn't she been fired? (an apology is not enough when you have trashed someone as publicly as she did).
2) NPR is always bragging about the intelligence of its listeners. Why does NPR not give us, the listeners, the benefit of the doubt when it comes to discerning between Juan's role at NPR and Juan's role at Fox?
WOW I really can not believe this. I consider myself very middle of the road. I listen to NPR all day while at work but then when I get home I trust FOX to deliver my evening news. I trust Jaun Williams because he stands his ground and I believe he is very fair.
I believe that when NPR could not control what Juan said they let him go. My local NPR station is having their fund raising at this time and even though I have supported the station for a long time I will NOT being doing that again.
Scott
Juan - Your association with Fox News diminished your journalistic ethics to the point that you cannot recognize that you serve as a foil to the likes of O'Reilly rather than reigning him in. Your exchange with O'Reilly last week served to exacerbate the emotional and vehement feelings about muslims. You should recognize as do most legitimate journalist Fox News is biased and inflamatory. Note that African Americans are NOT coming to your defense because you have been feeding the beast (FOX) that harms us. Take time to reflect on who you are and what you stand for; consider resigning from Fox, which gave you a $2milion contract for the express purpose of demeaning NPR. You're letting yourself be used and many or us resent it strongly. You're too smar to fall victim to culpable ignorance. - Cindy
NPR is showing they can be just as presumptuous, as repressive and suppressive as any right wing media. I'm sick and tired of arrogant people abusing their positions and censoring others who have every right to speak about their views. They bypass due process in their self-important rush to protect the public from open communication. In the previous hour Diane's show reviewed the leak of 400,000 documents exposing the horrors of our invasion in Iraq. I would encourage the news media to go out and get the story on AmeriKa's destructive involvement in foreign countries and leave the Juan Williams alone. Isn't the media failure to expose Bush, the lies that were manipulated to get us into a catastrophic foreign policy failure more important than suppressing Mr. Williams about his irrelevant comments. NPR shows it is just as stupid and thoughtless as the next media, they shouldn't be so full of themselves anymore.
What is Mr. Williams trying to acieve at FOX?
Does he regard Beck, O'Reilly or Hannity as journalism?
Does he belive that his comments in those shows are informing, educating, or thought-provoking to FOX watchers?
Sorry. My feeling is that he is being used as an ornament at FOX.
My respect for Juan Williams grows. My respect for NPR diminishes.
NPR is doing a fall fundraiser, I will not be donating, which I had been doing for several years. The reason I will not be donating is because I have been defending NPR for years saying they are fair, they are not left wing. I can no longer defend that statement. I hate Fox News, but NPR is acting exactly like Fox, only wanting one sided opinions. Shame on them.
The Juan Williams situation is incredibly disturbing to anyone who enjoys and patronizes NPR.
Mr. Williams has been a completely reliable and respected member of the NPR world for many years. He has always been a vocal opponent of discrimination and racism everywhere it is found. For NPR to separate from Mr. Williams even hinting of racism only proves what many have pointed out in the past; that NPR has become ideologically driven. Cokie Roberts works for both ABC and NPR. She has given both opinions, personal views, and objective reporting from both venues. However, since ABC wholly supports the causes of the left, I’m sure scrutiny of what she reports is far less intensive. Indeed, had Mr. Williams opined that FOX news has part of the "radical right," I'm sure Vivian Schiller would have given Mr. Williams a nice raise.
The public is now shown the very ugly side of publicly-funded news organizations. That is, the public is asked (if taxes can be viewed as that) to turn an independent media into a government-funded advocacy organization. This whole episode is so distasteful that Americans everywhere will not be surprised when all government funding is withdrawn from NPR. Moreover, government funding of Public Broadcasting in general will be scrutinized as well.
The only truly independent news organization left is CSPAN, and they are funded not by government, but by the cable carriers and providers. America now sees which of the two models is more appropriate.
It's pledge time for many NPR stations across the country. Call them! Tell them that their culture of suppression and control is cause for divorcing them from your patronage. Suggesting Mr. Williams needs a psychiatrist for speaking the truth is a horrid example of the ideological basement where NPR now dwells.
-- RBerry
My respect for Juan Williams grows. My respect for NPR diminishes.
I have wanted Juan Williams gone for years because as a news analyst he is incompetent and superficial. Why does Fox love him to provide a "liberal viewpoint?" Because he is an intellectual midget with little insight and a poor spokesperson.
His comment early on the program about Fox News during the day being "top notch" illustrates just how naive and unsophisticated his views are. Those three blatherers on the couch are just as bad as Beck, Hannity, and the worst of of Fox.
I am sorry that he had to go this way - I hate that he is able to wallow in sympathy and gin up the radical right. I wish they would have just let his contract expire.
So good riddance. When this dies down I will still never have to hear your predictable and boring "analysis" again.
(He keeps bringing up credibility - he has no credibility with me and didn't long before this.)
Juan Williams said that he was just reacting to his feelings. Most of our feelings are not based on the facts and realities. Most of our feelings arise from our so called intelligence, out of our own mental diagnosis, judgments, thinking and emotions without knowing the absolute truth. In other words, most of our feelings arise from ignorance. Juan needs to learn to deal with his feelings and not react to them.
Angie
Leaving aside the merits or handling of the NPR firing, what I found *really* offensive were his statements after the fact that NPR should have its funding cut and should "compete in the marketplace". He received paychecks from NPR for many years, but suddenly, based solely on his personal pique, he's advocating for public radio to have its funding slashed. I find his blurring of personal feelings and public policy to be totally unprofessional and hypocritical. Indeed, he is on public radio with you right now, funded in part by public dollars.
Either Mr. Williams should give back every dollar he received from public radio over the years, or he should apologize for his rash statement.