Let us get one thing correct -- Helen Thomas, Rick Sanchez, Octavia Nasr and Juan Williams are neither racists nor bigots. By all accounts they are good journalists. But by expressing negative stereotypes about a racial or religious group they are guilty of breaching the ethics of fairness, crucial ingredients to succeed in journalism. Thus their forced resignation or firing from Hearst, CNN and NPR respectively is the right action. Having publicly expressed their biases they could no longer be viewed has having the credibility to be impartial arbiters of news.
In firing Juan Williams, NPR did not violate his First Amendment rights. It asserted the fact that his views were inconsistent with the NPR brand of impartiality much like CNN did with Sanchez and Nasr. In contrast, Williams' other employer, Fox News felt that his opinions were consistent with its brand of hard-charging opinion making. Fox News rewarded Juan Williams with a new and more lucrative contract. Folks who prefer thoughtful discussions will likely support the firing because they perceive Juan Williams to have violated his fiduciary duties. In contrast, people who enjoy the daily shout-fest at Fox News will welcome the addition of Williams to its all-star lineup of over-the-top opinion makers.
The firing of Williams, while the right thing to do, is also a lost opportunity to confront the kind of fears leads to the formation of stereotypical views about Islam and Muslims. It is likely that NPR, by doing the right thing, may have drawn more negative fire towards Muslims, a community already on the receiving end of some of the harshest criticism in this country. No other American ethnic or religious group elicits the kind of negative sentiments that Muslims do.
Juan Williams expressed fear of people in a "Muslim garb." What did he mean by "Muslim garb?" What makes him afraid of someone's dressing style or free expression of their religious beliefs? Did the 9-11 hijackers wear any "Muslim garb"? And even if they did, what connection does a dress have with criminal behavior? Besides the sheer idiocy of attempting to define "Muslim garb" Williams is also guilty of trying to create more fear about a group of Americans who are already negatively perceived and against whom hate crimes are on the rise. Such fear mongering hurts the type of reasoned discourse that NPR prefers. As Americans we can and should have vigorous debates. But bigotry simply has no place in a civilized society. Institutions like NPR, by trying to be impartial, are attempting to build a firewall against this bigotry. Fox News on the other hand profits from fear-mongering.
The firing of Juan Williams, has unleashed a firestorm of protest by folks like Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Newt Gingrich. Yet they stood silent when Thomas, Sanchez and Nasr were fired for essentially the same guilt of making stereotypical and insensitive comments about Jews. What is also disturbing is that groups like the Council on American Islamic Relations (full disclosure, I served as its National Chairman from 2005 to 2008), honored Helen Thomas at their recent banquet and yet called on NPR to take actions against Juan Williams. Either all these firings/resignations are outrageous for they purport to curb free speech or they are the right action to take in order to preserve trust in journalism. One cannot have it both ways.
Are media outlets right in demanding its employees live up to journalistic ethics? Or is this excessive political correctness? Each case is different, but one thing is true that each business sets its own ground rules for what it will tolerate from people who speak in its name. NPR wants sanity, Fox News craves controversy. To each their own audience and to each their own brand.
In the greater scheme of things such firings may not necessarily improve journalism. Because it only pushes such harsh and insensitive opinion making to the margins without addressing the root causes that led to such erroneous opinions. The fact that Juan Williams has been rewarded by Fox News will make bigotry more commonplace in the public square. This election season has already seen a spike in orchestrated demonization of Latinos and Muslims. So long as consumers reward Fox News for its incessant attack on whoever is the flavor of the day, Fox News has no incentive to change. That to me is the biggest tragedy and lesson from the Juan Williams saga.
Professor Parvez Ahmed is a Fulbright Scholar and Associate Professor of Finance at the University of North Florida. He is also a frequent commentator on Islam and the Muslim American experience.
http://wwwÂ.mediabistÂro.com/fisÂhbowldc/heÂlen-thomasÂ-to-be-honÂored-by-amÂerican-araÂb-group_b2Â4348
Her entire career should be viewed in perspective instead of her being judged by one poorly articulated comment:
http://wwwÂ.nieman.haÂrvard.edu/ÂreportsiteÂm.aspx?id=Â100453
Thomas did not specify that Jews should get out of the "occupied territories," nor was that the intent of her comments, despite her backpedaling.
She specifically said that Jews should go home to Europe, indicating that the term Palestine referred to its original usage, the Roman state of Palaestina, the Turkish Palestinian territories and to the British Mandate of Palestine.
It is clear from this that she meant that the Jewish state had no right to exist, that Jews do not belong. It is equally clear that she had embraced fully the delegitimization propaganda of Palestinians, Arabs, Islamists, leftists and the far right.
It is clear that she meant what she said: that the Jewish state does not have the legitimacy to exist and should be removed from the map, as per Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . And that is obviously a position of extremists and not of the political mainstream.
She is ostracized, not because she was “criticizing†Israel, but because, in her old age, wisdom has flown from her, such that she was no longer capable of discerning the difference between extremism and justifiable criticism.
She is ostracized because attempts to delegitimize the Israeli state are considered extremism by most people, and leftists that do so, including the once distinguished Helen Thomas, do so more from their closet antisemitism, than of any desire for political fair play.
1. They have always hated NPR and would like to demonize them as they did with ACORN
2. They like what he said. Attacking Muslims is common on Fox. They are afraid that they will have to stop doing that (No fear, Murdock et al have no ournalistic standards)
3. Beck, Hannity and others also have a huge audience on talk radio. Most of their schtick is attacking, smearing minority groups and the President with baseless conspiract theories, propaganda and downright lies.If other outlets start firing people for bigotry, hate and propaganda they are afraid that they will have to stop doing what they do.They completely freak out even if the Fairness Doctrine is even mentioned. If standards and time for other opinions was mandated they would be exposed for what they are. Corporate prostitutes and con men.
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When the definition of a word, in this case "stereotype", can result in job loss, we should be as clear as possible about its meaning.
Noun:
"2. A conventional formulaic, and usually over simplified conception, opinion, or belief.
3. A person, group, event, or issue considered to typify or conform to an unvarying pattern or manner, lacking any individuality [....]
Verb:
3. To develop a fixed, unvarying idea about.
I have some doubt about the appropriateness of "stereotype" as the word to use in the Williams case. Did he say "all Muslims"? Or was that implied?
In the infamous rabbi interview she said that the Palestinians were being illegally occupied and forced from their homes by Israel. When asked where all the people from Israel were supposed to go (as if that somehow justified the illegal occupation) she replied that they should go back to where they came from..Germany, Poland, America, and everywhere else", referring to all the people who had made Aliyah to Israel from other countries in the past few decades. They weren't fleeing persecution or harassment.
I have to ask: how would Americans in Jacksonville, FL. react if thousands of people backed by the arms and money of the Peoples' Republic of China suddenly started moving in and forcing them out of their homes, bombing them and bulldozing the buildings down and holding the threat of a nuclear attack over their heads? And the Americans who had no place else to go--they'd be separated behind a heavily guarded area and not allowed to use the main roads?
These are simply facts, not racial stereotypes.
In the history of warfare, the losing side sues for peace on the winner's terms. Ask the Serbs in Kosovo.
What an awesome quote!
Thank you for that! if you don't mind, I will use it in the future :).
'Course our local population has many ethnicities and races among our 24,000 and I do not notice specific tensions among any at this time. Our school is excellent, and that may make a difference.