NPR – “Please Stop Hurting Us”
I’m sure you’ve heard already that ACORN faker and convicted criminal James O’Keefe released a new video showing an NPR fundraising executive meeting with potential donors pretending to be Muslims. In the released video the executive states that he thinks the Tea Party is racist and he also states that NPR doesn’t need government money. The reaction from NPR was swift – they fired the executive. Then in a move that had everyone scratching their heads, they also fired their CEO.
Here’s NPR’s statement:
The NPR Board of Directors announced today that it has accepted the resignation of Vivian Schiller as President and CEO of NPR, effective immediately.
Board Chairman Dave Edwards said: “The Board accepted Vivian’s resignation with understanding, genuine regret and great respect for her leadership of NPR these past two years.”
According to a CEO succession plan adopted by the Board in 2009, Joyce Slocum, SVP of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, will be appointed to the position of Interim CEO. The Board will establish an Executive Transition Committee to develop a timeframe and process for the recruitment and selection of new leadership.
Great job NPR! You’ve now given James O’Keefe and wannabes another “scalp” thus assuring that they will keep doing this. Have they learned nothing from the heavily edited videos previously released. Like before, this will do absolutely nothing to prevent Republicans from defunding NPR. It also assures that this became a huge media story. So, thanks a lot, guys.
The only thing this has convinced me of is that perhaps it is a good idea if NPR becomes completely independent. If NPR is going to cower like a kicked puppy every time the RW barks then perhaps they need to be out of the political process. I know that smaller market stations rely on the federal money for operations. Perhaps NPR could change its internal funding to help keep those stations open.
One lesson from all this – if you’re a group that the RWNJs start targeting, give your people some basic media training so that they don’t get caught on camera saying something easily misinterpreted. As a friend in Twitter said – the new standard in the left should be “slightly smarter than James O’Keefe.” C’mon, that shouldn’t be a hard standard to reach.
Tags: James O'Keefe, NPR
if NPR isnt willing to stand up for themselves, it is time to let them die and find another way to make our voices heard.
I’m a huge fan of PBS programming, which shows my bias there; however, NPR can easily stand on its own and would ultimately be better served that way.
Mr. Schiller said it best when he iterated such.
newshound, can you show us NPR’s financial reports you must be looking at in order to make such a statement?
“One lesson from all this – if you’re a group that the RWNJs start targeting, give your people some basic media training so that they don’t get caught on camera saying something easily misinterpreted. As a friend in Twitter said – the new standard in the left should be “slightly smarter than James O’Keefe.” C’mon, that shouldn’t be a hard standard to reach.”
There’s no training in the world that can compensate for common sense. Schiller fell for it as did Gov. Scott Walker. Stupid is as stupid does.
Others will follow.
SB –
Do me a big favor and stop responding to that fucking nob’s nonsense. Thanks!
but jason, according to various reports and original thought, you can beat Herpes by positive thinking and small government.
“… give your people some basic media training so that they don’t get caught on camera saying something easily misinterpreted.”
Although, their bias to the left is blatantly obvious, I really enjoy much of the programming on NPR, especially Diane Rehm, Fresh Air (amazing interview with Bob and Dayna Baer on Monday), All Things considered, and I rarely miss “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” on Saturdays. Down here (WSDL) we also have BBC World Service later in the evening (liberal biased radio with a nice British accent).
I hope this doesn’t have any effect the station in Salisbury. I never let politics get in the way of art, music, and good information. One only has to realize the bias, and be able to sift through the liberal bullshit to be informed and entertained, just like here on Delaware Liberal.
No “training” or (mis)interpretation required. (I’d love to see the course outline for your proposed training.)
“… it is time to let them die and find another way to make our voices heard.”
You still have Air America…
http://chicagosprogressivetalk.com/
Although, their antisemitism is a little more *in your face*…
http://english.aljazeera.net/
As for media training, just a basic awareness that there are media tricksters looking to make you look bad on hidden camera is probably enough. Probably some training on how to spot unusual behavior is enough.
I’m personally troubled by this concept that one person’s opinion is the opinion of the whole organization.
These hidden camera, heavily edited hit jobs work for Republicans because Republicans are very accomplished liars and cheats with no moral center. Meanwhile, when someone catches a Republican saying something stupid, racist, or hateful on camera, the reaction is basically a shrug because everyone knows that Republicans are stupid hateful racists.
“Although, their bias to the left is blatantly obvious…” Not to me. I thought NPR stood for Nice Polite Republicans. Like all American media – they are so stung by the charge of being liberal, that they over compensate to the extreme right.
“amazing interview with Bob and Dayna Baer on Monday”
I, too, found it amazing that they were promoting these cretins’ attempt to cash in on their immorality.
“… these cretins’ attempt to cash in on their immorality.”
Interesting take, Geezer. But, in retrospect, not from the guy who places civil servants on the same level as welfare recipients. A few years ago, I had some opportunities to work with similar characters (mostly domestic)and, regardless of politics, met some true patriots. Frankly, I sleep better because of their “immorality”.
“… cash in…”? Ever watched the Stewart?Colbert shows? (I know that’s your main news source). Seems like every swinging dick they interview is waving their new book. Good old capitalism at its best. No need to ask if you have a problem with that.
Ha!
“As for media training, just a basic awareness that there are media tricksters looking to make you look bad on hidden camera is probably enough… ”
As much as it has been happening recently, you’d think some of these targets have been living in a cave. You are aware that this brand of fuckery isn’t exclusive to the right wing?
“I’m personally troubled by this concept that one person’s opinion is the opinion of the whole organization.”
Ordinarily that would hold true. But, in the case of NPR (I believe there were two NPR Executives present), and in context with recent events, it certainly gives the perception that it’s pervasive.
Many of the tea partiers are racists. This is further proof that the market place in America isn’t characterized by justice. No one should be fired or forced to resign for telling the truth.
Mis: Sorry to hear about your sleeping problems. Odd that your rest would be affected either way by hired killers. But the immorality I meant was the fact that they both ditched existing spouses to take up with each other. Gotta love those family values.
Odd, too, that you’d self-identify a true public servant like yourself with people whose “service” amounts to undermining foreign governments through murder in the name of “patriotism.” You’re far above that level — I think. My position on public servants is not what you cite — I was just sarcastically pointing out that some people who rail about government spending exempt the spending on them. If you’re not guilty of that, mea culpa.
As for “capitalism,” of course everyone is flogging product, including a lot of the people normally on “Fresh Air.” I was simply surprised that these two made the cut.
Right wing extremists can’t have TV stations like PBS teaching kids to read and count and say the liberal ABCs, our children have to be dumbed down so they stay good little Christian extremist soldiers. A is for Armageddon and it’s coming tomorrow, B is for Bible and that’s all you ever need to read, C is for Christianity the only true religion…
Operas and classical music will make you gay, just fly the Confederate Flag, hug a bastardized version of the US Constitution, and don’t drink or dance cause that’s the Devil.
The most Unstable of Isotopes wrote:
Except, of course, while Mr O’Keefe releases “heavily edited” videos, going straight to the point, he also releases the full videos as well; here is the 1:58;53 long full video. Then everybody laughs when people complain about the “heavily edited” videos, claiming that they don’t represent the truth.
This isn’t the first time he’s done it this way; he did the same thing on his last set, when he caught the now-former Planned Parenthood office manager. But, every time, y’all fall for the same ploy; that’s why he hasn’t had to change his tactics! 🙂
Most of the stuff on NPR and PBS would survive if they were totally privatized, and if there is something they are showing that wouldn’t — locally, WVIA shows reruns of The Lawrence Welk Show at 1900 on Saturdays; that might not make it! 🙂 — then spending taxpayer dollars to support something that almost nobody is watching anyway would be nothing but a waste.
Maybe you ought to have a poll question up: Do you think NPR and PBS would survive if privatized?
who falls for it? the only media outlet that reports oqueef’s tripe as fact is fox news…. and they report it to the uneducated trailer trash that make up most of their viewers. fail.
Actually, I went and put a poll like that on my sidebar. If you use the identical code — email me and I’ll provide it — the polls would accumulate together.
Its just a matter of time before Schiller(s) and cohorts sue, and PBS/NPR issue a press release saying they were…snookered. WGACA.
O’Keefe makes nice theater but the bottom line is the NPR is a parasite and needs to be defunded. I’ll miss the jazz and classical music programming but such boutique programming and the liberal bias need to seek support directly from their audience.
Do you think NPR and PBS would survive if privatized?
They are already privatized. Don’t you hear the commercials? As soon as they started playing commercials they should have stopped taking government money.
It is a horrible choice, but I would rather NPR/PBS answer to corporations than to House Republicans.