By Jim Denison
Until October 18, Juan Williams was known as a journalist and author. Now he is a cause.
Williams worked for The Washington Post for 24 years, where he was once nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He also authored a well-respected history of the American Civil Rights Movement and a biography of Thurgood Marshall. In 2000 he joined National Public Radio as a talk show host, then became a senior correspondent.
But he has also been a paid commentator on Fox News since 1997, where he rankled NPR executives with his outspoken statements. In 2008 he was shifted from correspondent to senior news analyst. In 2009 NPR asked Fox News not to identify him as an NPR analyst on screen, after he described Michelle Obama as being like the black activist Stokely Carmichael in a designer dress.
Then came his October 18 comments on Fox’s “The O’Reilly Factor.” Host Bill O’Reilly discussed his recent appearance on ABC’s “The View” in which he blamed Muslims for 9/11. Williams responded: “Look, Bill, I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the Civil Rights Movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.” Williams went on to warn O’Reilly against blaming all Muslims for “extremists,” saying Christians shouldn’t be blamed for Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.
| {youtube}gRwok2Ffoys{/youtube} |
In the days following, NPR was flooded with calls to fire Williams or at least discipline him. In response, NPR called his remarks about Muslims “inconsistent with its editorial standards and practices” and terminated his contract. Williams was then signed to an expanded three-year contract by Fox worth $2 million.
NPR CEO Vivian Schiller defended her decision by defining the job of “news analyst.” “News analysts may not take personal public positions on controversial issues; doing so undermines their credibility as analysts, and that’s what happened in this situation,” she said.
NPR’s ethics code states regarding conflicts of interest: “Conducting ourselves in a manner that inspires confidence in us as independent and fair means avoiding actual and apparent conflicts of interest or engaging in outside activities, public comment or writing that calls into question our ability to report fairly on a subject.”
Two questions arise. First, was NPR right to fire Juan Williams? His contract could have been allowed to expire, or he could have been suspended pending review. Terminating him, by contrast, has created the appearance of censorship.
By not meeting with Williams before terminating him, the organization signaled to other employees that they could be dismissed in the same manner. Their decision gave Williams’ statements a much larger audience than they would otherwise have received. It came during the network’s annual fund-raising drive, creating bad publicity at a bad time. And it has fostered the impression that NPR views Fox as an adversary.
Once again, Jesus’ wisdom is proved right: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over” (Matt. 18:15). We are to talk about people only after we have talked to them.
Second, should we censor incendiary statements regarding Muslims or other groups? I certainly disagree with Mr. Williams’ comments. Do we want other minority groups to be so maligned? At the same time, once we begin censoring opinions regarding one group, where do we stop? The outcry against Williams’ statements should signal to Muslims in America that most of us do not view them as Williams apparently does.
As a Baptist committed to free speech and a free church in a free state, I defend a Muslim’s right to wear whatever clothing on an airplane he or she chooses within the bounds of legality. And I defend Williams’ right to state his beliefs regarding such clothing.
But I want both to know the larger issue: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Sam. 16:7). There will be no peace with each other until we have peace with him.