First interview with NPR CEO Vivian Schiller on Juan Williams firing
Call me lucky. I had a pre-scheduled interview this morning with NPR CEO Vivian Schiller this morning before her speech at the Atlanta Press Club Newsmakers luncheon at the 191 Club in downtown Atlanta.
So lo and behold, the entire Juan Williams firing blew up the past 24 hours. I happen to be the first person to talk to her about it. She basically said he was on NPR as a news analyst and wasn’t supposed to express opinions, something he had done time and time again on Fox News. This was just the final straw. Commentators, in contrast, are specifically called that on NPR and are supposed to be opinionated.
She said this has nothing to do with Fox News or his particular views of Muslims. She is also sorry NPR did this while most public radio stations (including WABE-FM) are in the middle of their fall pledge drives.
After the luncheon, John Weatherford, senior chief operating officer at WABE-FM, acknowledged the Williams flap has been a “distraction” for the pledge drive, and he has gotten many emails and calls from WABE listeners who won’t give money because of it. He also said today is the matching day for Atlanta Community Food Bank and he hopes it doesn’t hurt them.
[Williams himself spoke about the situation on Fox News today and said he couldn't believe he was let go without even a face-to-face conversation. He was terminated by phone.]
UPDATE@ 5:25 p.m. The Los Angeles Times reports that Fox has signed Williams to a new three-year contract worth nearly $2 million.
Here is part of the Q&A:
Q: Okay. What happened?
A: Let’s state a couple of facts. Juan is not an employee of NPR. He’s an independent contractor. He’s not NPR staff. He’s an NPR analyst. We have a contract with him for analyst opinions to provide news analysis. He is not a columnist or commentator. He also has an on-going relationship with Fox News. Mara Liasson is also on Fox News and is a full-time staffer. We accept that’s a whole other issue. However, we expect our journalists, whether they are news analysts or reporters to behave like journalists.
Q: So did Juan really get fired over just those Muslim comments? [He said he was uncomfortable with Muslims dressed in traditional garb on airplanes during a Fox News telecast yesterday.]
A: There have been several instances over the last couple of years where we have felt Juan has stepped over the line. He famously said last year something about Michelle Obama and Stokely Carmichael. [The quote on Fox News early last year: "Michelle Obama, you know, she's got this Stokely Carmichael in a designer dress thing going" and that she'll be an "albatross" for President Obama.]. This isn’t a case of one strike and you’re out.
Q: So this is obviously not an isolated incident.
A: There’s so much misinformation on the blogosphere, it’s nuts. This has been an on-going issue. [Here's NPR's ombudsman's piece on him last year after the Obama comment.] When he does that, when anybody does that, it undermines their credibility as a journalist or in Juan’s case, a news analyst for NPR. Those two things cannot go together.
Q: Have you done this before with other analysts or reporters?
A: It’s impossible to answer that. Every circumstance is different and would create false parallels.
Q: As you mentioned, Mara Liasson appears on Fox News. Is there an issue with Fox News?
A: No. She behaves on Fox as a journalists. I have no issues with anything she has said on Fox. This is not about Fox News. It’s not about a political agenda. This is not about even validating or invalidating [Williams'] feelings.
Q: Mike Huckabee is now saying NPR has discredited itself and should have federal funding revoked.
A: Yes, I heard that. This has become a political issue. My God, I’m shocked!
Q: Could NPR live without federal funding?
A: Let’s go on a sidebar. There’s a misperception about federal funding and public radio. There’s the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. They receive $90 million a year and a vast majority goes to member public radio stations. Those stations pull in more than $1 billion collectively a year. It’s significant and important but not even close to the lion’s share of revenues for public radio. NPR gets no allocation from CPB. Zero. We are a private 501(c)3. We’ve had journalists call up and ask what department of the government we report to. That’s laughable. Have you listened to our shows? We do apply for competitive grants from the likes of the Ford Foundation and the Knight Foundation. As a result, some money from CPB does come to us when we win grants. Depending on the year, it represents just one to three percent of our total budget.
Q: What is your annual budget?
A: $160 million a year from station fees and dues, corporate underwriting, philanthropic contributions from individuals and corporation and earned income and earnings from our endowment.
Q: How healthy are you?
A: We had some issues the last couple of years and went into deficits. But we’ve regrouped and we’re back on track.
During the luncheon, she repeated much of what she told me.
“We are for civil liberties,” she said. “If you want to be a political activist, you may not also be a reporter or news analyst for NPR.”
Schiller also said it’s “sophomoric” to deride objectivity as a lie of omission, that hiding a journalists’ biases is a bad thing: “Yes, we are humans. We have opinions. None of us are impartial, that objectivity and absolute truth as concepts are unattainable. It does not follow that providing the most objective and most impartial work possible is not a worthy goal for professional journalists.”
She continues: “This is where the Juan Williams story enters. We have checks and balances to serve that goal. That’s why we have editors. We have an ombudsman and corrections. It’s why we let readers comment on stories. It’s why we run opinions and commentaries and label them as such. Commentaries are different from news analysis. It’s certainly why we practice journalism and prohibit journalists from certain activities, not just to protect the appearance of objectivity… it’s to protect the ideal of fair-minded journalism… People have strong opinions and professional journalists have developed procedures and standards and practices to counter them. It’s to draw a fine line between reporter and commentary and punditry.”
On a brighter note, she also noted that NPR public radio stations have seen their audience grow 60 percent over the past decade to 34 million people and that doesn’t include users who access NPR shows via mobile devices, the Web and podcasting. She is also proud that NPR has expanded its coverage in international news, the arts and sciences and other topics that have been reduced in other media.
“Our goal is simple,” Schiller told more the luncheon audience. “Deliver more news and information to more people in more ways.”
NOTE: I am a board member of the Atlanta Press Club.
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524 comments Add your comment
Ray Ernst
October 21st, 2010
9:17 pm
It seems like at least 90%+ of the 400 cmments here are opposed to the NPR action. Thank God for good reasoning-. Perhaps this will be a tipping point for what NPR really is.
kevin
October 21st, 2010
9:29 pm
Ray Ernst,
90% of the people on this blog have clearly never listened to NPR and have no idea what it really is.
Billy
October 21st, 2010
9:32 pm
Williams was just reading from a script provided by Fox News.
sharon zirn
October 21st, 2010
9:33 pm
Vivian Schiller, NPR CEO, should be fired for offended the mentally ill and/or anyone that seek psychiatric help. She is of a small mind and a purveyor of hate.
mda
October 21st, 2010
9:44 pm
The BIGOTS at NPR bows to terrorist group CAIR!!! Who cares about Juan? Why don’t you comies discuss the HealthCare ram-rod? Or the Stimulus theft of America? Why not talk about how every Dem in Congress gave America the shaft? Oh, that’s because NPR hates America…
NPR – the cesspool of te world….and a nice liberal (and tere are so few) gets the axe because George Soros is paying them t can him… Like every cowardly liberal – make up a lie to cover your pathetic a$$es….
Ron
October 21st, 2010
9:54 pm
The issue is not free speech, it is hypocrisy. There are many examples of NPR reporters showing a clear bias in their reporting and they were not fired for their actions. Mr William did not show political bias and in fact made the point that while emotionally he had fear regarding Muslims, intellectually he needed to overcome those fears and judge people individually rather that because the group to which they belong. This is pure political correctness aimed in one direction. It is fair game to have a bias against Conservatives, Christians, Jews, and the Rich. It is totally unacceptable to show any bias towards Liberals, Hispanics, Muslims, etc.
Ms. Schiller can do whatever she wanst, just not with my money. Time for NPR to stand on its own or let those who support their message pay the bill.
kevin
October 21st, 2010
10:08 pm
MDA,
Yeah, making sure every human being has healthcare coverage is awful. The stimulus started under Bush, and by the way, is clearly working. While unemployment is still suffering, nearly all economic analysts conclude we are officially out of the recession. The stock market has recovered and businesses are beginning to thrive again. Also, it’s worth noting, Bush spent more money than Clinton and Carter combined. He inherited a surplus and ran up the biggest deficit in US history. Blaming the current administration for the current economic situation is like blaming a firefighter for starting the fire; it’s ludicrous and ignores the fact that our previous president was the most irresponsible president in history–extending tax cuts to the richest 3% of the country and starting a completely unnecessary and expensive was in Iraq. And, it’s worth mentioning, he lied to do so. Sure, it’s not as bad as lying about a bj (give me a break).
defund
October 21st, 2010
10:13 pm
NPR just showed their true colors. A day or so ago, George Soros gave them lots of money to hire “journ o lists”…no doubt this had a lot to do with it, since Soros hates anyone that isn’t a one world, far leftist.
NPR has also tried to get Mara (don’t remember her last name), off of Fox also.
Either you have the view points of Soros, NPR, etc…..or you are out!
Defund them, PBS, the ARTS, special interest groups, and thousands of other things the federal gov. is involved in….the federal gov. was not never intended to take so much money in taxes and get involved in all the things they are now!
Obvious
October 21st, 2010
10:16 pm
AppealToReason…You are Retarded. I mean no disrespect. What I mean is that you are Retarded in a clinical sense.
Please, please…go see a doctor.
Obvious
kevin
October 21st, 2010
10:21 pm
Good point Defund,
The government should only overspend with regards to defense, making sure abortion becomes illegal, gays should never be allowed to marry, ensuring people who make ungodly amounts of money have more loopholes to avoid paying taxes, thwarting 1st amendment rights, e.g. the patriot act, not helping the poor and less fortunate, and, of course, making sure we ensure we are a country built on Christian faith. Let’s see is there anything else…oh yeah, make sure all brown people are first thought of as being terrorists before thought of as being human beings. Long live the GOP and Tea Baggers!
Doug
October 21st, 2010
10:22 pm
Just like the Liberal Elitists Network (LEN) or NPR to claim their eternal support for free speech, as long as they get to approve it first. Juan was the most unbiased commentators on LEN and now will be the left voice on Fox. I am glad this happened before most people wrote that annual check, and the tax payers should no longer be forced to support a network who managerial leadership is so obviously on extreme left of most of those tax payers.
kevin
October 21st, 2010
10:34 pm
NPR is only liberally biased if you are fool enough to think Fox news is “fair and balanced”. Quit taking you Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity enemas!
Penelope
October 21st, 2010
10:35 pm
Juan’s point touched the nerve in most americans that are honest with themselves. NPR is either out of touch with most of us, OR they desire to control and manipulate us to be so politically correct that we no longer know exactly what we think about anything! (unless of course, we listen 24/7 to NPR). No more money going that way from me, my family or anyone else I spoke to about this today!
Werbaz Neutron
October 21st, 2010
10:38 pm
Schieffer compared the GOP to the Taliban and he is yet on NPR. I think NPR’s distinction between opinion and news analysis is a bit too self-serving…….
NPR refuses to draw parallels to the Williams firing because – what did she say — each case is a special case. Now that is pretty laughably transparent. Who does that babe think she is talking to?
spiv
October 21st, 2010
10:55 pm
I attempt to listen to all sides. And believe me, it’s not always easy. Juan Williams is the only self confessed liberal that I can actually listen to without my brain feeling as if it were going to explode. HE doesn’t yell, cuss, accuse, smear, etc those he disagrees with, he’s a real gentleman. Now, Vivian Schiller, she’s one piece of fruit cake.
hughglass
October 21st, 2010
10:59 pm
It’s nice to see that that lib’s universe of “enemies of the state” continues tp expand. I enjoy having some company! Starting out with dead white Euopeans, who had destroyed America, they quickly moved on to include all heartless white male conservatives, like me. The vermin then picked up the pace, viciously attacking Black conservatives. In the last year or two, the libtards have added conservative women to the list of “untouchables”. Attractive conservative women, who are legion, seem particularly repugnant to the left. With the addition of Juan Williams, whom I consider to be a thoughtful, articulate advocate of liberalism, to the lib hate list, they have now added Black, lifelong battlers for civil rights (see “Eye On The Prize”), to the group who just don’t measure up. That big liberal tent is looking more like a pup tent everyday. I, for one, am delighted. Have a nice November 3rd.
spiv
October 21st, 2010
11:01 pm
Oh, by the way Kevin, your another piece of fruit cake. Keep this up and yawl might just make an entire FRUIT CAKE. HA
kevin
October 21st, 2010
11:02 pm
hughglass,
liberals do not hate juan williams. in fact, i think hin to be thoughtful and insightful. he just happened to violate his contract.
yes, have a happ nov.3rd–we’ll have a happy 2012 after you conservative yahoos muck everything up again.
kevin
October 21st, 2010
11:04 pm
spiv,
Nice comment! Way to make it entirely void of anything substantial whatsoever!
JTesla
October 21st, 2010
11:23 pm
Wait: “he just happened to violate his contract” how so? Did it actually say in his contract he couldn’t share his opinion, or that he couldn’t feel anything that runs counter to what his bosses at NPR think?
Just a little fact finding on my part, no kool-aid sippin here.
robinhuud
October 21st, 2010
11:32 pm
Question #! – whatever happened to freedom of speech. It seems in this country that to be “politically correct” you can’t have a personal opinion on anything. Don’t criticize the blacks, or the jews, or the muslims, don’t criticize anybody. So everyone plays the game and goes home and does the criticizing behind closed doors. Muslims crashed into our two world trade center towers and killed thousands. Article after article is being written about the every increasing threat of muslims in the world, especially in places like London, Paris and other large cities. They take over the neighborhoods and try to control society, from praying at airports to having their restaurants dominate where they live. To ignore these warnings is simply ludicrous. One day we will wake up and captive of these people, who hate us and have no respect for human life. I also abhor the way Jean was fired, by telephone. How cowardice. She seems to be the standard CEO functioning today, full of cowardice, excuses, and spewing the typical corporate “answers” rehearsed to answer each situation. By the way, I also send the CEO of NPR an email and told her how cowardice I thought she was.
b cook
October 21st, 2010
11:33 pm
how dare you.
b cook
October 21st, 2010
11:37 pm
why are your views being funded by all tax payer dollars!!!!!!!!!
JTesla
October 21st, 2010
11:52 pm
robinhuud: “whatever happened to freedom of speech” do you mean before or after the Patriot Act provisions of which have been continued by Obama? Sorry, you mean Juan’s freedom of speech, this isn’t a freedom of speech issue. At all. I’m opposed to his firing, but it has nothing to do with Constitutionally granted freedoms.
This is the best part: “They (Muslims) take over the neighborhoods and try to control society, from praying at airports to having their restaurants dominate where they live”
So you’re saying I can’t pray in an airport? Because that is where I do some of my best praying. All Christians, you have been warned, no praying in airports. That statement not to be outdone by having their restaurants dominate where they live? Well DUH that’s called good business, first you don’t have to drive far to get to your place of employment, and second, your located right where your best clientele will be! HELLO! It’s the same reason why there are a lot of Chinese restaurants in China Town.
robinhuud it’s late, try again in the morning.
JTesla
October 21st, 2010
11:53 pm
your, you’re, same thing right?
Dave from GT
October 21st, 2010
11:57 pm
I bet NPR is defunded, tries to compete, loses, goes out of business……… and Soros will not be with us within the next 20 years.
Nowthat is something to look forward to !
susan
October 22nd, 2010
12:11 am
Look at all the biased analysts who work for NPR keeps them, but they fire Williams for speaking his mind.
This is troubling, and makes me angry.
The govt. should stop giving any taxpayer money to NPR, and CEO Schiller needs to be fired!
The Juan Williams Confessional Hour | Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics
October 22nd, 2010
12:12 am
[...] is in full damage control, but not backing down. From AJC, an interview with NPR’s CEO Vivian Schiller: A: Let’s state a couple of facts. Juan is not an employee of NPR. He’s an independent [...]
aaron
October 22nd, 2010
12:19 am
its time to cut funding for this nonsense…
Justice for All
October 22nd, 2010
12:31 am
Holy Juanoly!! Mr. Ho, do you ever recall this much e-response to any of your previous online stories? And your site happens to be but just ONE of several sites that has been inundated with negative comments regarding Ms. Schiller’s recent action against Juan Williams.
Certainly, NPR will have to respond accordingly to Ms. Schiller’s major faux pas. And she may want to seek out the services of a good psychiatrist herself. Any CEO that would choose the very same time period that is devoted to her own company’s fundraising to commit such a public injustice certainly needs to have her OWN head examined. And she thought NPR’s budget was operating with a deficeit 2 years ago??
Freakshow blue
October 22nd, 2010
12:53 am
It’s time to take every NPR and PBS station and put the band position up for sale. These are public airwaves right? We are hurting aren’t we? NPR and PBS were started up with Government funds and the actually airwaves they broadcast on are we the people’s. Sell them !!! If FOX is the highest bidder so be it. If someone wants to buy NPR and roll tapes of bowling tournaments so be it. I want my money back and I want entertainment too. Have a sale off on live TV. Then Fire the SOB’s at PBS and NPR on the air. Nothing better than us saving money and being entertained at the same time !!!!
Soros
October 22nd, 2010
12:55 am
George Soros is a cheap mutt!
$1.8 million ain’t going to get you nothing. It’s MSM vs Fox News and liberals are losing it big time.
What Soros should have done is offer $18 billions to buy Fox News out.
Cheap mutt!!! Tell him to watch Logan’s Run movie and patch up that escape route!
Freakshow blue
October 22nd, 2010
12:57 am
and another thing. Am I to understand that Juan was the only Black person on the air? And these racist clowns get government funding? Time to open and Equal Opportunity Investigation into each NPR station. Jail them for being bigoted racist morons. Are you supporting NPR? You must be a racist.
Ha Ho
October 22nd, 2010
1:00 am
Yo Ho,
You forgot to tell us that if you think like Juan about Muslims on an airplane, then we need to see a psychiatrist….
Afraidofmuslims
October 22nd, 2010
1:04 am
Viavian, I really get scared of muslims when I take an airplane, now that you know it: you are fired and my donation to NPR, too.
Jenny Moose
October 22nd, 2010
1:06 am
Why is Mara Liasson and Nina T. still able to have opinions on network shows?
Is it because Juan is black or because he is male?
Do anyone see black male-ing here? Just asking ;-P
Ha Ho
October 22nd, 2010
1:09 am
“If you are afraid of Muslims on an airplane…please get help and see a psychiatrist” – Vivian Schiller
lilo Bjorling
October 22nd, 2010
1:14 am
I WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE, again.
Free speech is still allowed last I looked? or is it?
Come on Now
October 22nd, 2010
2:20 am
NPR now has no black analysis..
And they have the nerve to call the TEA PARTY racist!
Did I miss something?
Yes B
October 22nd, 2010
2:48 am
All of the people commenting who say that people should just say whatever you want to say and not apologize or are saying that he’s just stating an opinion are full of crap. If you’re white you know good and well you couldn’t ever say you’re scared of black men when you’re walking down the street. You’d look like a complete racist idiot. Well guess what, muslim is the new black. Oh yeah and to Cause I Care, scared of all men? How in the world do you function? You sound like you need meds sister. Journalists have to watch what they say, period, end of story. He’s got a $2mil gig with Fox now.
Roger
October 22nd, 2010
2:59 am
I made a substantial donation to WABE last year, but in light of Mrs. Schiller’s recent actions that was clearly a mistake. Who should I contact regarding a refund?
Clydezilla
October 22nd, 2010
6:00 am
If taxpayer dollars make up such a small portion of CPB’s budget, then withholding it shouldn’t be such a problem, right?
Additionally, why not cut off the funds that come to NPR/PBS through the National Endowment for the Humanities, or the National Endowment for the Arts?
Elitist idiots…
Clydezilla
October 22nd, 2010
6:03 am
NPR – so open-minded that their brains fell out…
NPR: Juan Williams is responsible for what he said, but our CEO isn’t « Crush Liberalism
October 22nd, 2010
7:03 am
[...] “credibility” that NPR thinks they have when it comes to “objectivity”). Version Two of NPR’s firing: He “stepped over the line” with his comments…you know, the [...]
Steve dale
October 22nd, 2010
7:40 am
Do the math ,,,, 98.68% of the comments on here are pro Jaun Williams an anti NPR and anti 9/11 style religions……….. 1.32% pro NPR and pro 9/11 style religion lovers………..THATS AN INDICATION OF HOW AMERICA FEELS……………………………… NPR= a bunch of people professing themselves to be wise, but are actually blind, blundering idiots and dont realize that almost 99% of the public thinks so…..well……. 98.68% ………………now that is funny..
ciaonow
October 22nd, 2010
8:14 am
Simply put, she is a LIAR! If Mr. Williams had said something about the Tea Party making him troubled, do you think he would have been fired? Also, she is such a “good guy” that Mr. Williams, got fired over the telephone..really? After 10 years of “towing the company line” These people ALL have a political agenda and she is no different. I suggest that SHE be fired for being a liar and a “shill” for their liberal, left wing agenda and for NEVER showing both sides of an issue. BTW..she is also, just a crummy human being as any one who knows her will attest.
Causal Bystander
October 22nd, 2010
8:25 am
Vivian Schiller, how can she say what she did with a straight face. I have not always agreed with Jaun Williams, but in this instance I agree entirely that when Arab speaking folks are in-line for an airplane, I too give them a second look. Come-on, 100% of the nuts that crashed airplanes into buildings, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania fields were Muslim extremists. WE are involved in two conflicts right now…..with Muslim extremists. Muslim extremists have been involved in the Time Square bombing, attack at Ft Hood and any number of attacks around the world. You bet your a$$ I am giving Arab speaking or dressed folks a second look!!! Good On Ya Juan!
Jenny
October 22nd, 2010
8:32 am
I was shocked when I heard that Juan Williams had been fired by NPR. I hadn’t seen the program on Fox, so I tracked down the video online. What I saw, was Juan Williams attempting to start a dialogue, based on a desire for people to speak up, and work through their feelings, on all sides to bring them out in the open, rather than keeping us all festering in silence. Williams had the guts to admit that he feels a bit anxious at times if he sees a Muslim dressed in traditional garb, on board a plane. Said traditional garb signifying Muslim fundamentalism. He admitted it as a means to get a discourse going, and in all candor, most Americans have felt this way since 9/11 and the regular attempts by Muslim fundamentalists on air craft, to engage in acts of terrorism. I remember when NPR expressed the opinion that such discourse, as a way of clearing the air was healthy and positive, apparently it’s sold out it’s original mission, and Juan Williams is now the first public victim. I can only imagine the chilling effect this will have on other journalists.
Juan Williams has always been the consummate professional, we look to journalists to inform the public, not being propagandists for politicians. Apparently the 2 large slush funds provided by George Soros, first 1 million and then another 1.8 million has allowed Ms. Schiller to feel entitled to show her true colors?
TRx21
October 22nd, 2010
8:36 am
She should be fired immediately. She is a bigot and a propagandist. How does NPR get a half a billion in public money and have such an obvious partisan bias? CUT OFF ALL FUNDING THAT MAKES IT’S WAY TO NPR.
TRx21
October 22nd, 2010
8:38 am
I want Vivian Schiller to prover her own purity on the bigotry question. She should take a long stroll thru the darkest streets in the worst ghetto in Washington DC at 2:30 this morning, when the bars close by herself. If she doesn’t have the nerve to do it, i would ask her why not?