FAIR Activism Update: NPR Ombud: 'Critics are right' on (disrespectful) Zinn obituary

[Emit]

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Activism Update

NPR Ombud: 'Critics are right' on Zinn obituary
Cites 'Flood of Emails'

February 5, 2010

NPR ombud Alicia Shepard responded to the over 1,500 activists who wrote individual letters to NPR regarding the Howard Zinn obituary that aired on All Things Considered.

Her response is below. Thanks to all of those on the list who wrote to NPR.

http://www.npr.org/ombudsman/2010/02/howard_zinns_obit.html

Activist Historian Howard Zinn's Obit Causes a Firestorm

(NPR Ombudsman with Alicia Shepard)

There's a taboo not to speak ill of the dead. Or if you are going to, then at least be nuanced and even-handed about it.

And that's what hundreds said about a Jan. 28 remembrance of Howard Zinn, the activist historian who died Jan. 27.

~snip~

The four-minute piece by Allison Keyes quoted three sources: two who praised Zinn and one, David Horowitz, who was harshly critical. It was the commentary by Horowitz that led Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), a left-leaning media watchdog group, to initiate a campaign that resulted in over 1,600 emails, over 100 phone calls and 108 comments on npr.org. Others complained on air.

~snip~

"There is absolutely nothing in Howard Zinn's intellectual output that is worthy of any kind of respect," Horowitz declared in the NPR story. "Zinn represents a fringe mentality which has unfortunately seduced millions of people at this point in time. So he did certainly alter the consciousness of millions of younger people for the worse."

Ouch.

~snip~

Many critics pointed to NPR's even-handed coverage of William F. Buckley, "a figure as admired by the right as much as Zinn was on the left," according to FAIR, which gave its members talking points and urged them to contact the Ombudsman.

NPR was complimentary and respectful in memorializing Buckley, who died in 2008. The network was equally nuanced in remembering pioneering televangelist Oral Roberts (who died in December) and Robert Novak, a conservative columnist who played a key role in the Valerie Plame debacle and who died last August. NPR's obituaries of these men did not contain mean-spirited, Horowitz-like comments.

~snip~

The Zinn obit was assigned to Karen Grigsby-Bates late on the day he died but she had difficulty getting callbacks that day. Keyes got the assignment the next day to do the story for ATC that night.

"She reached out to as many voices on both sides about Mr. Zinn as she could," said managing editor David Sweeney. "Some were not available or refused to talk." ...

After the flood of emails, I asked Sweeney to take another listen.

He agreed the Horowitz quote is harsh in tone. "That doesn't undermine the legitimacy of using his point of view," said Sweeney. "If there is a problem with what Horowitz has to say, it's that he's allowed to wield a sharp tongue without providing any justification or evidence to support his words: more heat than light."

~snip~

Critics are right that NPR was not respectful of Zinn. It would have been better to wait a day and find a more nuanced critic -- as the Washington Post did two days after Zinn died --than rushing a flawed obituary on air.

[EFerrari]

1. How do you support a personal attack. Sweeney is full of it.

ETA: Good job, guys!

[tblue]

2. "Fringe mentality"? Look who's talking.

Horowitz sure seems to hate it that Zinn, in fact, can't be marginalized and does have a broad impact. When you've "seduced millions" I think you're kinda the anti-definition of "fringe."

That was just plain dumb of NPR.

[hlthe2b]

3. I have never been more appalled at something on NPR...

than I was hearing the vicious froth from David Horowitz's mouth. I only hope to live long enough to hear his obit and that it is truthful to his foul essence and fully exposes his long lived hypocrisy.

[glitch]

4. Out of curiousity - Why would anyone call Horowitz on any subject whatsover? Hacks.

Unless they were trying (and succeeding) to blatantly prove Zinn's point on the rancid state of corporate (don't even try to claim NPR is public) media today.