I do not think it was right for the NPR to fire Juan Williams. Juan Williams was a reporter who was having a discussion with Bill O’ Reilly on the O’Reilly Factor, giving his honest opinion on how he feels towards a certain situation.
Even of Fox News, when Williams spoke about the NPR firing him, he stated that unfortunately, it was an honest experience, and when he sees a Muslim dressed in their garb, he gets nervous, and that of course he would have that initial moment of fear because of what happened on 911. It’s something that many people can relate to because of the tragic impact this incident had on our country and many people would feel being in the same situation as he was. He was not being a bigot; he was explaining his personal feelings towards a specific situation. As someone who defended bigotry, he was stating that it is just a reality, and something that cannot be ignored.
I think that there are fine lines between journalism and being a commentator. Williams was not reporting at this time, and the fact that he was being fired for giving his opinion on a certain situation was too harsh. I’m not sure what the details of his contract are, but to me, I find it hard to believe that he breached the terms of it. It would have been a different situation if he was reporting hard news at the time, because, it wouldn’t be considered true, ethical reporting, it would be his biased opinion towards a situation, and if that was the case, then he should have been examined. For commenting on this specific experience, I find that it was a harsh choice for the NPR to do, and should have been examined more carefully. Where is the line drawn between journalism and commentary? It seems like the rules have changed.
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