NPR Is Just Getting Silly
It looks like they've pressured an affiliate to fire a syndicated host because she exercised her free speech. In itself this might not be a story, were it not for the hoards of NPR voices that do the same thing. As the fired hostess, Lisa Simeone, noted:
“I find it puzzling that NPR objects to my exercising my rights as an American citizen - the right to free speech, the right to peaceable assembly - on my own time in my own life. I’m not an NPR employee. I’m a freelancer. NPR doesn’t pay me. I’m also not a news reporter. I don’t cover politics. I’ve never brought a whiff of my political activities into the work I’ve done for NPR World of Opera. What is NPR afraid I’ll do - insert a seditious comment into a synopsis of Madame Butterfly?
“This sudden concern with my political activities is also surprising in light of the fact that Mara Liaason reports on politics for NPR yet appears as a commentator on FoxTV, Scott Simon hosts an NPR news show yet writes political op-eds for national newspapers, Cokie Roberts reports on politics for NPR yet accepts large speaking fees from businesses. Does NPR also send out ‘Communications Alerts’ about their activities?”
(Emphasis from the original article.)
Rant Mode in Full ON: This is what happens when a public agency accepts commercial advertising. Yes, Fox fomented this kerfuffle with its Liberal Media non-sense; but when the NPR advertisers back up Fox's position by using the power their purses give their voice, bad and silly things happen that are most un-liberal.
If you still give money to these whores, I admire your persistent optimism. Please, write the ombudsman and complain about this firing. Note the discrepancies and hopefully get Mara Liaason fired as well, not because I don't like her but because the logic of NPR's action demands to be extended simply to show the silliness on which it is based.
“I find it puzzling that NPR objects to my exercising my rights as an American citizen - the right to free speech, the right to peaceable assembly - on my own time in my own life. I’m not an NPR employee. I’m a freelancer. NPR doesn’t pay me. I’m also not a news reporter. I don’t cover politics. I’ve never brought a whiff of my political activities into the work I’ve done for NPR World of Opera. What is NPR afraid I’ll do - insert a seditious comment into a synopsis of Madame Butterfly?
“This sudden concern with my political activities is also surprising in light of the fact that Mara Liaason reports on politics for NPR yet appears as a commentator on FoxTV, Scott Simon hosts an NPR news show yet writes political op-eds for national newspapers, Cokie Roberts reports on politics for NPR yet accepts large speaking fees from businesses. Does NPR also send out ‘Communications Alerts’ about their activities?”
(Emphasis from the original article.)
Rant Mode in Full ON: This is what happens when a public agency accepts commercial advertising. Yes, Fox fomented this kerfuffle with its Liberal Media non-sense; but when the NPR advertisers back up Fox's position by using the power their purses give their voice, bad and silly things happen that are most un-liberal.
If you still give money to these whores, I admire your persistent optimism. Please, write the ombudsman and complain about this firing. Note the discrepancies and hopefully get Mara Liaason fired as well, not because I don't like her but because the logic of NPR's action demands to be extended simply to show the silliness on which it is based.