NPR was wrong; FoxNews is worse

NPR did the wrong thing in firing Juan Williams for his remarks on the O’Reilly show. It is troubling when one sentence can provoke such a response. Williams’ comments about people “in Muslim grab” could certainly have been more graceful or measured, but his comments in the context where not as offensive as the blub suggests. Maybe he ought not dignify FoxNews with his presence but Williams did try to hold O’Reilly accountable for his genuinely bigoted conflation of Islam with terrorists who justify their actions in theological terms. 

Rightly, NPR’s ombudsman has raised concerns about the firing. If NPR wanted to rid itself of Williams that is perfectly fine, but they should not have used this lapse in judgment as a pretense. NPR’s action vis-à-vis Williams has a chilling effect on free, open and honest discourse. Although I think the cases are different in kind, Williams’ firing and Sherry Sherrod’s dismissal both reveal a fearful and wrong reaction to offensive speech. NPR must maintain its commitment to rational discourse especially during this moment in our history when irrationality seems ascendant. Jon Stewart is far more effective and appropriate response to the nonsense peddled by FoxNews. NPR should simply have let Williams go because he was not doing his job.

The most significant and least surprising consequence of the Williams imbroglio is that Palin, Beck, O’Reilly et al are taking advantage of the moment. Palin and friends are pretending to care about journalistic ethics and in the process doing damage to the essential institution of a vibrant free press. It will be truly unfortunate if this self-inflicted would by NPR gives FoxNews significantly more ammunition with which to further their assault on serious and honest journalism. NPR is not without fault, but our democracy will be much diminished if more citizens are turned off to real news and tune in to FoxNews.