“Dear Program Colleagues,

“I want to apologize for not doing a better job of handling the termination of our relationship with news analyst Juan Williams. While we stand firmly behind that decision, I regret that we did not take the time to prepare our program partners and provide you with the tools to cope with the fallout from this episode. I know you all felt the reverberations and are on the front lines every day responding to your listeners and talking to the public

“In any event, the process that followed the decision was unfortunate – including not meeting with Juan Williams in person – and I take full responsibility for that. We have already begun a thorough review of all aspects of our performance in this instance, a process that will continue in the coming days and weeks. We will also review and re-articulate our written ethics guidelines to make them as clear and relevant as possible for our acquired show partners, our staff, Member stations and the public.”

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“Executives at NPR affiliate stations across the United States have begun publicly voicing discontent in the aftermath of the network’s dismissal of news analyst Juan Williams, with several station managers openly questioning the actions and judgment of NPR President and CEO Vivian Schiller…

“‘I think it had to do with the network he was on,’ said [Janet] Campbell, who has served as KANU’s general manager for fifteen years. ‘I thought it was a knee-jerk reaction. And I was extremely disappointed at [Schiller’s] remarks in Atlanta. I thought that was very childish. Someone in charge of such a large organization should know better.’…

“The general manager for still another NPR station affiliate, also based in the deep south, spoke to Fox News only on condition of anonymity because he did not wish to strain relations with NPR headquarters in Washington. ‘I have mixed feelings about it,’ said the manager. ‘I probably shouldn’t say anything [on the record] because I might get outspoken. So I should probably keep my mouth shut. I’m an old-fashioned fellow who wishes the Fairness Doctrine were back. That should give you some idea of where I come from on this.'”

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“Fourteen percent of NPR listeners identified themselves as Republican, 40 percent said they were Democrats and 41 percent were independent, according to a survey taken in June by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Among all surveyed by Pew, the breakdown was 25 percent Republican, 33 percent Democratic and 34 percent independent.

“‘With their listeners, (Williams’ exit) would be a positive,’ said Robert Lichter, author of ‘The Media Elite,’ a 1986 book that traced political leanings of journalists. ‘I don’t imagine a lot of their listeners are regular Fox viewers.'”

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“As Juan has shown this week, the best solution is to be yourself, be honest, and try not to sweat the people whose job it is to take offense at everything you say. I hope his grace under fire, and the outpouring of support for him, will encourage others to follow his lead. I hope the near universal backlash directed at NPR for his disrespectful canning will make the speech police more hesitant to make citizens’ arrests for incorrect pronoun usage.

“If every word and every sentence is a potential destruction of career or character, there can be no conversation.”

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