Juan Williams got fired by NPR for expressing his feelings about seeing people in Muslim-style clothes on airplanes. Conservatives are howling "suppression of free speech" and plan to introduce a resolution in Congress to revoke any federal funding for NPR.
NPR says that Williams was fired because his contract is for news analysis, not opinion; and they are, rightly -- and rarely, these days -- upholding the important rule of journalism that you don't mix news reporting/analysis with personal commentary and opinion. It's the difference between reporting news as objectively as possible -- just the fact, ma'am -- and opinion which should be somewhat subjective.
Others, less polarized, suggest that NPR hasn't been quite so quick to hold Cokie Roberts and Nina Totenberg to such standards, that NPR is really upset with Williams and looking for an excuse to get rid of him because he also provides commentary on FOX News.
Take you pick: but I have long been dismayed at the way journalism has lost its professionalism, and TV news especially has blurred the distinction between news and opinion.
Ralph
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