By snoadmin
Invest in earplugs, my friends, for the howls and cries of the far right are ringing through the wires of countless public radio stations.
Conservative politicians recently motioned for Congress to limit or discontinue federal funding for public broadcasting after the nonprofit media organization National Public Radio fired one of its commentators, Juan Williams.
Williams was fired last Wednesday night after telling a Fox News host that he felt uneasy when he boarded a plane with people dressed in “Muslim garb.”
Shortly after he was fired, Williams was offered a contract with Fox News worth nearly $2 million. However, NPR executives worry that Fox News may have used Williams to portray NPR as a more liberal biased news institution — which it has often been alleged to be by other conservative officials.
The firing drew overwhelming uproar, temporarily disabling the “Contact Us” form located on the NPR website.
Much of the criticism concerning William’s firing was due to a statement made by NPR’s President Vivian Schiller. William’s should have kept his opinion “between himself and his psychiatrist,” she said.
With an upcoming election that could possibly reestablish Republican control of the House of Representatives, NPR’s main concern lies in whether the firing will cause any permanent financial damage among public broadcasters.
NPR is known for its nationwide syndication to more than 800 public radio stations. Although only 2 percent of NPR’s $154 million annual funds come from the federal government, up to a third of some of NPR’s members’ annual funds are collected from federal sources. If federal funding for public broadcasting decreases or fails to continue, many radio stations may be hurt.
Schiller claimed that she does not regret the decision to fire Williams. However, she does regret the manner in which she handled the situation.
Despite the massive amount of critics condemning NPR’s decision, several supporters have openly agreed that NPR must “maintain consistent standards among its journalists,” as Washington public station general manager Caryn Mathes put it.
If Congress were to listen to the many conservatives who ultimately let their petty concerns get the best of them, many public radio stations would suffer the consequences of, perhaps, significantly limited federal subsidies.
Indeed, Schiller would have been smart to stay away from any statement that could be deemed distasteful by the public; however, critics are overlooking the motive that urged Schiller to making a public statement to begin with.
Perhaps some can identify with William’s anxiety when boarding a plane together with supposed Muslims, but such views are considered prejudice and contribute to the hostility often felt between Muslims and non-Muslim Americans.
William’s statement is — when considered thoughtfully — an insulting one. And, although Schiller’s statement was also insulting, it was a simple response to an egregious confession. Williams’ statement affected an entire faction rather than one commentator, as Schiller’s did.
The injustice of suspending federal funds for public broadcasting because of William’s firing is outstanding. Members of NPR countrywide should not have to endure any financial consequence as a result of a job termination. Doesn’t this highlight why so many of us are in favor of diminished government involvement in business?
No one should feel any sort of consequence pertaining to the subject. It’s nearly certain that critics who wish to hold radio stations across the country accountable for one NPR commentator’s mistake would fail to provide any convincing ground as to why this sort of punishment would be suitable.
If critics are simply being bitter about the liberal bias NPR has supposedly portrayed, we say suck it up. Biases are everywhere. The entire motion to limit federal funding for public broadcasting is biased toward a conservative view.
There is only one obvious moral to this story: Don’t be a foolish when retaliating. Schiller should have conveyed her message by being an example of what she sought to see.
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