The Speech that Got Bob Edwards Fired from NPR?

[JPZenger]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/3/25/184449/498

(skip through the first part to get to the good stuff)

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0602-03.htm

Excerpt of speech made last year by Bob Edwards, who was recently replaced as Morning Anchor of National Public Radio:

"We are currently a nation at war and the free flow of information and ideas is never more important than it is at times like these. But monopolies choke that flow, allowing only the information and ideas that facilitate that other flow -- the flow of dollars into their pockets.

... Clear Channel Radio, owner of 1,250 radio stations. Clear Channel is based in Texas. Clear Channel loves George W. Bush. Clear Channel would like the administration of George W. Bush to remove all remaining restrictions on the ownership of media properties. That is exactly what the Bush administration is considering.... Before he became FCC chairman, Mike Powell was a communications lawyer, making fabulous sums of money lobbying on behalf of the broadcast industry -- the industry he's now supposed to be regulating. When he is finished regulating the broadcasting industry, Mike Powell will return to -- the broadcasting industry. Now how tenacious is Mike Powell going to be in regulating the broadcasting industry while he is on this temporary hiatus from the broadcasting industry?

Did you see that news conference last month? First of all you should never miss a George W. Bush news conference because they are as rare as comet sightings. This President has been in office for more than two years and he's held exactly eight news conferences. At the same point in his presidency, George Bush the elder had held 58 news conferences. ... Another White House tradition, the follow-up question, also appears to be history.

"Mr. President, you're asking for $76 billion to pay for this war, and you'll probably go back to Congress to ask for more. Given the fact that there'll be severe deficits for as long as you are President, why not let your tax cut slide?"

..."How did you expect to win international approval for your plan to invade Iraq when you have repeatedly told the rest of the world that the United States is ready to act alone in virtually every field, as witnessed by your withdrawal from international treaties and agreements having to do with the environment, war crimes and other matters that the rest of the world considers important?"

"Mr. President, at your news conference last month, you mentioned the Sept. 11 attacks no fewer than eight times, even though no one asked you about Sept. 11 -- they were asking you about the invasion of Iraq. The Sept. 11 attacks were carried out by al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. Will you please elaborate on the connection, if any, between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, who, if his videotapes are to be believed, has about as much affinity for Saddam Hussein as you do?"

..."Does pre-emptive military action without provocation set a bad example for other countries who can claim actual provocation? India and Pakistan over Kashmir, for example. Greece and Turkey over Cyprus. South Korea, provoked almost daily by North Korea."

"And speaking of North Korea, Mr. President, who is the worse dictator -- Saddam Hussein or Kim Il Jong?" "Kim is weeks away from turning North Korea into a nuclear power if he hasn't already done so. Saddam only dreams of becoming a nuclear power, so why is he a bigger priority than Kim? And why don't you send your so-called precision bombers to take out the one plant in North Korea that you know to be a potential source of nuclear weapons?"


www.savebobedwards.com

[Maat]

1. Uh-yep. That would get a guy fired.

It was exactly what needed to be said. Perhaps we need him on Sirius Left (liberal/progressive) radio. He makes a whole lot of sense.

[MissMarple]

3. Good idea. He's too young to retire.

:D

[supernova]

2. Perhaps Bob could get a job at AAR?

:shrug:

[cybildisobedience]

4. quick, someone get this to Howard Stern!

[Killarney]

5. that did it

[catzies]

6. Thanks, and a belated welcome to DU.

Good reading.

[AP]

7. I heard Ira Glass talk about Bob Edwards. Here's what he said:

He says that he knows the person who "fired" Edwards and he thinks there was nothing political about it.

He says both Edwards and the people who made this decision are good people who just want to make NPR as good as possible, and if they made any mistake it was in the way they announced the firing, but not in their reasons for doing it.

Glass said that Edwards is a really good journalist who edits his own copy (which is rare) and has great skills at writing, editing and reading very natural-sounding copy.

He said, however, that NPR has been on a kick in recent years to have their anchors to get out in the field and do the occassioinal location reporting. At the very least, they feel that this allows NPR to connect with the public better. Glass said that Scott Simon does this, and does it really well. He said the difference in the tone of reporting is starkly apparent now that Simon has startted doing this. (I, for one, haven't really noticed, but I accpet that Glass has a better ear for good reporting than I have, and he's probably right about this.)

Glass said that Edwards refuses to do that. He says that Edwards doesn't feel that that plays to his strengths. Glass said that he believes that NPR is generally right -- NPR does need more of what Simon does and the gains from having a new anchor do this will be greater than what they lose from not having Edwards's skills any longer.

Glass said that this is an internal debate that they've had at NPR and they truly feel that it will make NPR a better station, and that's the only reason they're ending their contract with Edwards.

Glass also implied that Edwards was aware that this would happen. He had a choice. If he refused to get out among the public, his contract would come to a quicker end. He made that choice.

I should add that this story also sounds like a cover for age discrimination. However, Glass seemed very sincere in interpreting this as he did.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

8. yuppie killer marshmallows....

...oh so sincere.

There was probably some sort of hidden agenda and its all nicey-nice spin now.

[AP]

11. On the sincerity meter,

it was definitely a 10.

I don't know what Ira Glass would gain from spinning for NPR.

His show is the best thing on NPR and he has a production deal with Warner Bros and is thinking about doing a TV version of TAL, so he doesn't really need to worry about pleasing NPR.

He seemed really honest.

[Plaid Adder]

9. More Scott Simons? SWEET LORD, KILL ME NOW!

Of all the NPR voices, Scott "Smarm-Master" Simon's is the one I most hate to hear. Poor Bob. I'll miss ya, Bob!

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[AP]

10. That's from memory.

It was one of the current anchors. That's the name that I remember, but it could be the ATC anchor whose name I can't remember.

[1gobluedem]

14. Edwards wasn't fired from NPR

He was reassigned. And Ira Glass' program isn't an NPR show -- it's distributed by Public Radio International (PRI), the other public radio network. Many stations subscribe to both networks.

NPR does want anchors that have more field reporting experience and who will follow up in interviews with tougher questions which, according to what I've read (and I work for an affiliate), they don't feel Bob does. Why not give the new guys a chance? I have seen so many posts lately griping that Bob is too easy on the likes of Cokie Roberts, Mara Liasson, etc. that I would think most DUers would be glad to see him reassigned. Maybe this is what everyone's been waiting for. And I think he'll also make a great senior correspondent.

I really don't believe it was an age issue. Dan Schorr and Carl Kasell are much older than Bob.

[catzies]

12. Kick, with a request to sign an online petition.

www.savebobedwards.com

[KoKo]

13. I signed the petition yesterday, before I even knew of this! I thought it

was for his age. At least that's the way it was portrayed in my local newspaper. Unbelievable! Fascists!