Concerned that Fox News is becoming increasingly partisan, executives at National Public Radio have asked one of their top reporters to stop appearing on the network as a guest contributor. According to Politico, NPR management asked national correspondent Mara Liasson to watch Fox News for 30 days and then "reconsider" her affiliation with the right-leaning cable news channel. Liasson elected to stick with Fox, noting that she appears only on the network's news programs and never on opinion shows with controversial hosts, such as Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. Should NPR discourage its journalists from appearing on America's most popular cable news network? (Watch Mara Liasson participate in a Fox News roundtable discussion)
NPR needs to protect its reputation: Fox no longer even pretends to be a real news organization--it's simply a right-wing "propaganda channel," says David Neiwert at Crooks and Liars. And Mara Liasson recently started spouting GOP-approved talking points like everyone else on Fox. NPR has every reason to step in to protect its "hitherto-sterling reputation" as a source of unbiased news.
"Memo to NPR and Mara Liasson: You lie down with Fox, you get fleas"
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NPR is the one showing bias: NPR has "no business" telling Liasson what to do in her spare time, says Allahpundit at Hot Air, and, "as a taxpayer-funded news organization," it has no right to join in the White House's war on Fox News. In any case, Liasson deserves "a big cheer for reportorial independence"—and standing up to her bosses' heavy-handed tactics.
"Did NPR sign up for Obama's war on Fox?"
Liasson can't have it both ways: Liasson's defense is "comical," says Eri Boehlert at Media Matters. It doesn't matter that she only appears only on Fox's news programs. She needs to either embrace "Fox News in its entirety"—including all its "unhinged and nakedly partisan" opinion hosts -- or suck it up and "walk away from Rupert Murdoch's money."
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