On Inside Washington, PBS, Charles Krauthammer challenged NPR's Nina Totenberg on the hypocrisy of Juan Williams being fired while she is allowed to be as opinionated and as ugly as she wants to be with impunity.
Video.
Transcript, from NewsBusters:
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: NPR then came up with a second explanation, the CEO said, “well he went over the line of NPR analysts and correspondents expressing opinions.” Well, I’m on the set with Juan at least once a week. I’ve been on the set with Nina here for almost 17 years-
NINA TOTENBERG: And Mara [Liasson] on Fox.
KRAUTHAMMER: Well, on this set with you. And I don't understand the inconsistency here. Why is it okay for Nina to express opinions, as she has tartly, sharply, unashamedly and openly, and she’s an honored correspondent there? In fact, they mention your status here on this show in your biography at NPR. And Juan, because he expresses his opinions, gets canned from NPR. That’s what the CEO said yesterday. In fact, the standard ought to be lower in the case of Juan because he’s an analyst, whereas Nina is a correspondent.
NINA TOTENBERG: In the modern journalistic world, where people are asked to give opinions all the time, whether you’re a regular on a show like this or not, if you cover a story you may be asked to appear on a television show and talk about it. I think it’s a very, very difficult line to draw. And NPR tries to draw it, in my view, using rules that don’t exist anymore.
KRAUTHAMMER: But what’s the difference between you and Juan expressing opinions? You on this show, and him on Fox? It’s completely illogical and hypocritical.
COLBY KING, WASHINGTON POST: In Nina's behalf, that’s not a question that she should be made to answer-
KRAUTHAMMER: She works for NPR, perhaps she can explain it.
JEANNE CUMMINGS, POLITICO: But I think what this episode does demonstrate, or some of that, the changing nature of journalism. There are a lot of blurred lines and everyone of us has to bear in mind what responsibilities and what role-
KRAUTHAMMER: But where did Juan go over the line?
CUMMINGS: -we want to take in our profession. So it is risky when you get pulled on TV. Sometimes you get asked, if you’re a reporter, you sometimes get asked a question that you don't really feel comfortable answering in your capacity as a reporter.
KRAUTHAMMER: This is all highfalutin journalistic theory. Where did Juan go over the line? I’m defending him. He’s a friend of mine, he’s an innocent, he got fired.
KING: He’s been a friend of mine for twenty years-
KRAUTHAMMER: Where did he go wrong?
KING: As I said, it was not a firing offense.
This is great.
Krauthammer directly confronts Totenberg about NPR giving her free rein to spew her opinions and say terribly offensive things while Juan Williams gets canned.
Why is it okay for Nina to express opinions, as she has tartly, sharply, unashamedly and openly, and she’s an honored correspondent there?
Clearly, it's not OK. It's not OK at all.
Krauthammer is right. It's "completely illogical and hypocritical."
That's the Left in a nutshell, completely illogical and hypocritical.
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