In light of Ailes' “Nazi” outburst, how is Fox News not “harmful” to NPR's reputation?
Written by Eric Boehlert
Published
This is getting to be ridiculous.
Why NPR continues to allow one of its most high-profile political correspondents to maintain an on-going, on-air professional bond with Fox News simply makes no sense. It hasn't made much sense for years, since that kind of relationship with Fox News clearly seems to runs counter to the guidelines established for the NPR newsroom. But it makes absolutely zero sense in the wake of Fox News chief Roger Ailes' unhinged and bitter remarks, painting NPR executives as “Nazis” and NPR journalists as government-funded hacks.
That's who NPR wants to continue a relationship with by having Mara Liasson constantly appear on Fox News program? It just makes no sense to me and if somebody at NPR could explain what logic would allow Liasson to keep using her NPR alliance while appearing on Fox News, I'd sure like to hear it.
And keep in mind this nugget from NPR's laudable ethics code and what it has to say about staffers making outside media appearances [emphasis added]:
Permission for such appearances may be revoked if NPR determines such appearances are harmful to the reputation of NPR or the NPR participant.
Again, Ailes just lashed out at NPR and called it a haven for Nazis. Ailes apologized for his Third Reich rhetoric, although not to NPR, and then inserted a new round of insults (“nasty, inflexible bigot”) replace the “Nazi” slur.
So in light of Ailes' mad rants and the complete public train wreck they represent, this simple question remains: How is maintaining a public alliance with Fox News not “harmful to the reputation of NPR”?