There’s quite a controversy brewing over freelance radio host Lisa Simeone for her participation with an activist group occupying a park in Washington, D.C. It’s a worth a look at how this unfolded– especially since it appears to have cost her one of her jobs.
A report at the Roll Call website (10/18/11) noted that Simeone was acting as a spokesperson for the group, which goes by the name October 11. Roll Call wondered if this violated NPR ethics guidelines, since Simeone acts as a host on two programs that air on some NPR affiliates: the long-running documentary series Soundprint and the NPR World of Opera. (Neither show is produced by NPR; World of Opera is distributed by the network.)
Shortly after the Roll Call story appeared (and was picked up by other outlets like the conservative Daily Caller), NPR sent this internal memo, which was posted by activist David Swanson (Warisacrime.org, 10/20/11):
From: NPR Communications
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 6:12 PM
Subject: From Dana Rehm: Communications Alert
To: All Staff
Fr: Dana Davis Rehm
Re: Communications AlertWe recently learned of World of Opera host Lisa Simeone’s participation in an Occupy DC group. World of Opera is produced by WDAV, a music and arts station based in Davidson, North Carolina. The program is distributed by NPR. Lisa is not an employee of WDAV or NPR; she is a freelancer with the station.
We’re in conversations with WDAV about how they intend to handle this. We of course take this issue very seriously.
As a reminder, all public comment (including social media) on this matter is being managed by NPR Communications.
All media requests should be routed through NPR Communications at 202.513.2300 or mediarelations@npr.org. We will keep you updated as needed. Thanks.
NPR posted the first two paragraphs of the memo as a blog item shortly thereafter. Within a few hours, Soundprint fired Simeone (AP, 10/20/11), citing NPR ethics guidelines. It is not clear why the show, which has no apparent formal connection to NPR, would make this move. AP reported that Simeone was fired “after NPR questioned her involvement in a Washington protest,” though NPR claims it had “no contact with the management of the program prior to their decision” (Poynter.org, 10/20/11).
Simeone is not an NPR host or employee, but the network did seem to be taking some sort of active role in the decisions about her employment status.
NPR‘s Ethics Code forbids journalists from participating “in marches and rallies involving causes or issues that NPR covers,” and it also states that “NPR journalists may not engage in public relations work.” The code “also applies to material provided to NPR by independent producers.” But NPR there are exceptions, such as a “freelancer who primarily does arts coverage.” The NPR code also states, “There may be instances in which the type of programming may not demand the application of a particular principle in this code.”
WDAV, the station that produces World of Opera, decided today that Simeone could continue to host the show:
As host of World of Opera, Lisa Simeone is an independent contractor of WDAV Classical Public Radio. Ms. Simeone’s activities outside of this job are not in violation of any of WDAV‘s employee codes and have had no effect on her job performance at WDAV. Ms. Simeone remains the host of World of Opera.
That would seem like good news.
But NPR‘s handling of this is a reminder that it has never been entirely clear what kind of political positions NPR deems objectionable. News reporter Mara Liasson once denounced antiwar Democratic politicians on Fox News Channel (10/3/02): “These guys are a disgrace. Look, everybody knows it’s Politics 101 that you don’t go to an adversary country, an enemy country, and badmouth the United States, its policies and the president of the United States. I mean, these guys ought to, I don’t know, resign.”
The comments caused some controversy (NPR‘s ombud wrote a column on 7/20/03), but obviously Liasson was not removed from her job as a reporter. Cokie Roberts is apparently free to take political stances, given her role as an analyst.
NPR‘s new president Gary Knell has stated his desire to “calm the waters” and “depoliticize” the debate over public radio (FAIR Blog, 10/7/11) in response to Republican politicians’ desire to cut funding for public broadcasting. Incidents like the revelation of Simeone’s activism are likely to provide fodder for right-wing complaints about the “liberal bias” of NPR. One understandable response is derision. Time‘s James Poniewozik writes:
Public radio listeners! Have you long worried that your station was undermining capitalism through its broadcasts of the Ring Cycle? Tired of having your children brainwashed by the socialistic messages of La Traviata?
Poniewozik argues that firing Simeone “would be a stupid, stupid decision”–but that due to the politicization of the funding debate NPR is “practically obligated to overreact when a staff member or even freelancer comes within 200 feet of a political opinion.”
It’s beyond absurd that there’s really even a controversy over whether the freelance host of an opera show should be fired for political activism. But let it be a reminder to NPR‘s new president: It’s going to be nearly impossible to “depoliticize” this debate, given the vehemence of your right-wing critics.
Peter, it doesn’t appear to me that there’s any attempt to “depoliticize” anything. NPR’s – and “Soundprint”‘s – actions are intensely political, in the worst sense of the term.
Not that, given its history, I’d expect anything other.
Unfortunately, I don’t imagine most NPR listeners really give a rodent’s rear, do you?
Oh … and good on Simeone.
Here is a response from NPR I received to an angry letter I had written defending Lisa (and decrying the increasingly right wing slant to NPR’s news and obeisance to corporate interests).
***
Dear George,
There have been some inaccuracies in recent reporting on World of Opera host Lisa Simeone that we’d like to correct.
World of Opera is produced by WDAV, a music and arts station based in Davidson, North Carolina. Lisa is not an employee of WDAV or NPR; she is a freelancer with the station.
Lisa will continue to host World of Opera. That has not changed. You can read WDAV’s statement confirming this on their website. The management of WDAV is solely responsible for the decision making around Lisa’s role with the program. This high quality cultural program will continue to be heard by thousands of listeners.
NPR had no role in the decision made by the management of the public radio documentary program Soundprint to end its relationship with Lisa as the program’s host. Soundprint is an independent public radio program that is not produced by NPR. NPR had no contact with the management of the program prior to their decision. We learned about it after the fact. You can read more about Soundprint’s decision on their website.
Other than Lisa’s role as host, Soundprint and WDAV’s World of Opera are completely unrelated. To that point, it is important to understand that not every public radio program is produced or distributed by NPR. And not every public radio station is a member of NPR. NPR is one piece of a larger public radio system. You can learn more about the public radio system on NPR.org.
It is clear that you feel passionately about the role and value of public radio. Thank you for sharing your perspectives with us.
Sincerely,
Dana Davis Rehm
Senior Vice President
Marketing, Communications, and External Relations
Okay maybe nPR had nothing to do with her firing (directly,anyway) but the double standard still holds. Mara Liaasson, Cokie Robeerts, Scott Simon and others will never lose their jobs as long as their opinions concur with the corporate underwriters.
As a Davidson alum (’82) and former WDAV employee, I read the item on NPR’s blog and emailed WDAV’s general manager, all ready to tear the college and station a new one, only to find that they had already briskly and quietly done the right thing. (Details here.)
As it happens, I stumbled earlier today across the original Roll Call item and picked a fight with the reporter about it. She demonstrated not only lack of journalism in her response but also lack of literacy, so I’ve decided to torment her some. This could be fun. Watch my blog (linked above) for updates.
Which is interesting, since I got this email in response to my complaint to NPR:
Dear Geoffrey,
We recently learned World of Opera host Lisa Simeone is serving as a spokesperson and activist with Occupy DC. World of Opera is produced by WDAV, a music and arts station based in Davidson, North Carolina. The program is distributed by NPR. Lisa is not an employee of WDAV or NPR; she is a freelancer with the station.
There have been some inaccuracies in the reporting on this story that we’d like to correct.
It has been reported that NPR had a role in the decision made by the management of the public radio program Soundprint to end its relationship with Lisa Simeone as the program’s host. This is not true. Soundprint is an independent public radio program that is not produced by NPR. NPR had no contact with the management of the program prior to their decision. We learned about it after the fact, through media reports.
Other than Lisa’s role as host, Soundprint and WDAV’s World of Opera are completely unrelated. We are in conversation with WDAV about this matter. We fully respect that the management of WDAV is solely responsible for the decision making around Lisa’s participation in Occupy DC and her freelance role with WDAV’s program.
Sincerely,
Dana Davis Rehm
I’m still waiting for NPR to account for the political bias on the part of Dick Meyer, news director, that prompted him to give his infamous rationale for initially not covering #Occupy. To this day NPR personnel continue to belittle the movement, continue to nip at participants’ heels with captious faultfinding to distract from, and play dumb about, the very obvious central message of OWS.
NPR is having a tough time disguising its role of spokespersons for the corporatocracy, and now this underside of hypocrisy about the non-employee Simeone being a “spokesperson” for a social movement.
Don’t get me wrong–I don’t entirely buy the NPR backtrack. I hope the relevant portions are true insofar as she is still able to work. That said, there many egregious hypocrisies remain and must be critically assessed. I have been horrified at their either failure to report or just outright slanted reporting on a variety of issues from Venezuela to their completely ignoring Occupy Wall St — let alone the thousands and thousands of us who demonstrated on May 12. Vile despicable reporting for what I refer to as the “coprotocracy” …. for those of you with a bit of Latin you’ll get it…similar terms with the root copro- include coprolite, coprophage and coprolalia…well, you get the point…NPR is just their lapdog spokesperson too often. Why? Because the vile repugnicans have asserted this bullsh1t that the media are “liberal” and threatened their funding…or worse, as David Koch rots and distorts an erstwhile favorite on PBS, Nova, gets funding from the very scumbags upon whom they should be doing sharp journalism.
The bigger issue is NPR’s promotion of mainstream books and music for revenue sharing while it blocks all music and books from those who oppose revenue sharing.
http://tinyurl.com/2f27dpc
Some of what is reported here seems to be in conflict with the email I received.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/21/npr-dumping-opera-show-ov_n_1026121.html
It appears that WDAV never fired her, and Soundprint still has fired her. Soundprint still has a firing statement up on their site, and James Fallows at The Atlantic has good reporting on this.
NPR has now totally dropped World of Opera making their position crystal clear.
Good bye sustainer dollars from me!
Let’s remember exactly ten years ago when NPR news host Scott Simon also made comments in relation to Wall St.: an editorial for the Wall St. journal which defended the invasion of Afghanistan with comparisons to Nazism. Such paid commentary in the corporate press is acceptable to NPR policy, but Simeone’s citizen expressions are not. She is right to call it McCarthyist.
Let NPR die. It is the zombified remains of public radio, spewing forth the oligarchy party line, funded by the same corporations that have bought the government.
Support the Pacifica network, Link TV and Free Speech TV instead.
My response…
Dear Dana,
Thank you for your response.
Or so the civil coporatese would have it when my genuine feeling is more accurately: screw you for your disingenuous and dishonest reply, as the reports below clearly underscore. NPR ditched the program. At the risk of insulting an otherwise innocent animal, your reply appears to be clever like a fox, but really, it sounds more like that other bastion of outright lies and propaganda, Fox News. NPR seems to maintain a patina of journalistic integrity and intellectual rigor but the inner rot smells more and more like that propaganda machine.
Let me be clear. The issue of the attack by NPR on Lisa for her political expression that I object to is merely the culmination of myriad insults upon critical thinking that really began to take off in a concerted way after 9/11. You may, as some suggest, wish to hide behind the letter of the so-called Ethics Code NPR purports to adhere to, but I find this also to be disingenuous in the extreme. Especially when your programs are riddled with slanted and clearly right-wing biased reporting and reporters, like kooky Cokie Roberts (as Steve Post would so adroitly identify her).
In recent years, NPR has consistently promulgated slanted, biased and second-rate news reports. Hell, I just have to listen to a report on a topic covered by NPR and then, hardly a bastion of independence, a BBC version of the same story. In the latter case, the report is invariably more hard-hitting, with tough questions for powerful figures instead of the softball lovefests NPR tries to pass off as news.
From the lead-up to the illegal and unjustified invasion of Iraq with all its attendant lies to the financial institutions-induced economic collapse, NPR has persistently been either exceedingly late to the story, soft-pedaled it or otherwise shamed itself with second-rate, second-hand reporting. I could provide a litany of such examples, but I suspect you’re more than well aware of them.
The more NPR tries to appease the psychotic right-wing in this nation and defend itself against the all-out assault on its funding by the GOP, the more it disgraces its integrity, its capacity to be truly journalistic. This is but one of the myriad reasons thousands and thousands of us are participating in Occupy Wall St-style events around the world. Because we’re sick of the ridiculous nightmare of large swaths of the American media being wholly-owned subsidiaries, as our government appears to be so often, of vested financial and corporate interests.
Yeah, I’m over your company. I really do not care at this point if you’re completely defunded by the US government; you’ve done everything but sell out entirely to the Koch brothers and become a Murdoch-ClearChannel propaganda arm of the current American form of corporate fascism.
I hope you don’t sleep well at night.
Or better yet–I hope you find the moxie to broadcast the show–but more importantly, actually throw caution to the winds and find, nurture and replicate the Edward R. Murrows that still surely do exist out here. Try to remember what real journalism is all about? Sadly, all I can think is “snowballs in hell.”
George M. Carter
On Oct 21, 2011, at 3:06 PM, NPR_Response wrote:
Dear George,
There have been some inaccuracies in recent reporting on World of Opera host Lisa Simeone that we’d like to correct.
World of Opera is produced by WDAV, a music and arts station based in Davidson, North Carolina. Lisa is not an employee of WDAV or NPR; she is a freelancer with the station.
Lisa will continue to host World of Opera. That has not changed. You can read WDAV’s statement confirming this on their website. The management of WDAV is solely responsible for the decision making around Lisa’s role with the program. This high quality cultural program will continue to be heard by thousands of listeners.
NPR had no role in the decision made by the management of the public radio documentary program Soundprint to end its relationship with Lisa as the program’s host. Soundprint is an independent public radio program that is not produced by NPR. NPR had no contact with the management of the program prior to their decision. We learned about it after the fact. You can read more about Soundprint’s decision on their website.
Other than Lisa’s role as host, Soundprint and WDAV’s World of Opera are completely unrelated. To that point, it is important to understand that not every public radio program is produced or distributed by NPR. And not every public radio station is a member of NPR. NPR is one piece of a larger public radio system. You can learn more about the public radio system on NPR.org.
It is clear that you feel passionately about the role and value of public radio. Thank you for sharing your perspectives with us.
Sincerely,
Dana Davis Rehm
Senior Vice President
Marketing, Communications, and External Relations
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/22/npr-drops-world-of-opera-after-lisa-simeone-stays-as-host/
NPR drops â┚¬Ã‹Å“World of Opera’ after Lisa Simeone stays as host
National Public Radio (NPR) has continued its decision to remove itself from anything associated with Lisa Simeone after her participation in an anti-war protest in Washington.
The network will no longer distribute â┚¬Ã…“World of Opera,â┚¬Ã‚ a show Simeone hosts, to the 60 stations the nationally syndicated program is broadcasted to. WDAV, the station that produces â┚¬Ã…“World of Opera,â┚¬Ã‚ refused to drop the radio music personality and will distribute the show on its own starting November 11th.
Earlier in the week, Simeone was fired from the radio documentary program â┚¬Ã…“Soundprint.â┚¬Ã‚ Like â┚¬Ã…“World of Opera,â┚¬Ã‚ Ãƒ¢Ã¢”š¬Ã…“Soundprintâ┚¬Ã‚ is not an NPR-produced show. Soundprint Media Center, the company that produces â┚¬Ã…“Soundprint,â┚¬Ã‚ adopted NPR’s codes of ethics and fired Simeone based on the grounds of those rules.
Simeone is a broadcast freelancer and has never been an NPR employee.
***
To which I might add: Indeed, the very fact that she is a “freelancer” underscores the sleazy direction of the coprotocracy, as I prefer to call it, has taken, using a lot of us as 1099 help that you don’t have to care a crap about our pensions, health care, vacations or any of the other civilized priorities of business in order to persistently cut corners.
and
***
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/21/npr-dumping-opera-show-ov_n_1026121.html
‘World Of Opera’ Dumped By NPR Because Host Participated In Occupy DC Protest
BRETT ZONGKER 10/21/11 09:26 PM ET
WASHINGTON — NPR will no longer distribute the member station-produced program “World of Opera” to about 60 stations across the country because the show host helped organize an ongoing Washington protest, a network official said Friday evening.
Instead, North Carolina-based classical music station WDAV, which produces the show, said it will distribute the nationally syndicated program on its own beginning Nov. 11. The station said it plans to keep Lisa Simeone as host and has said her involvement in a political protest does not affect her job as a music program host.
NPR spokeswoman Dana Davis Rehm said the network disagrees with the station on the role of program hosts but respects its position.
“Our view is it’s a potential conflict of interest for any journalist or any individual who plays a public role on behalf of NPR to take an active part in a political movement or advocacy campaign,” she told The Associated Press. “Doing so has the potential to compromise our reputation as an organization that strives to be impartial and unbiased.”
Rehm said any host with NPR attached to their title is a public figure representing the network as a whole. But she said “reasonable people can have different views about this.” She said the negotiations with WDAV were civil and amicable.
NPR’s ethics code states that “NPR journalists may not participate in marches and rallies” involving issues NPR covers. The code notes that some provisions may not apply to outside contributors. It uses a freelancer who primarily contributes arts coverage as an example.
Rehm said the network didn’t need to cite the code in its decision to drop the show because its position on hosts’ political activities was “even more fundamental.”
Simeone, who lives in Baltimore, is a freelancer who has worked in radio and television for 25 years. She has hosted music shows and documentaries. She was fired Wednesday as the host of a radio documentary program, “Soundprint,” because she helped organize an anti-war demonstration that also protested Wall Street and what participants call corporate greed.
“Soundprint” is heard on about 35 NPR affiliates and is produced by Maryland-based Soundprint Media Center Inc. Its president said the company had adopted NPR’s code of ethics as its own.
“World of Opera” is the only radio show in the nation devoted to broadcasting full-length operas from around the world, according to WDAV.
The Davidson, N.C.-based station will use the same distribution process as NPR and hopes to retain all the stations that have aired the program, spokeswoman Lisa Gray said. The network is assisting with the change in distribution, and it won’t affect the listener’s experience.
“We think it’s really important to classical music that we continue to produce the show and make it available,” Gray told the AP. “That’s our primary concern, that we continue to be able to provide this programming to listeners and stations across the country.”
WDAV had previously said it has a different mission than NPR and seeks to provide arts and cultural programming nationally and internationally, rather than news.
NPR had previously produced and distributed “World of Opera” in house until January 2010 when production was shifted to WDAV. The show has been in production for more than 20 years. It has featured performances from U.S. opera companies including Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Glimmerglass and New York City Opera, as well as operas from Paris, Vienna and elsewhere.
Those who suspect NPR management has become another Toad of the corporations now have proof!
Big adu about nothing
michael e: could you elaborate, please? In my view, getting fired from one’s job for expressing a political view is a big deal, and something that should not be permitted in a free society.
Dana Rehm’s disingenuous BS notwithstanding, NPR tried to get WDAV and Davidson College to do its dirty work for it. Having failed, NPR pitched a hissy fit and quit syndicating “World of Opera.”
So WDAV and Davidson College promptly announced that they would syndicate it themselves.
Sucks to be NPR.
I just donated $25 to WDAV for standing up to NPR and refusing to fire Lisa Simeone. If you would like to do the same, go to http://www.wdav.org/pledge/pledge.cfm, and for a one-time gift, fill in “Other amount” at the bottom of the page. (Be sure to also click the radio button next to the amount field.)
Well Mike recently I have read about teachers fired for knocking gays.Or jews….
A Pit stealer just got fined for talking on his cell phone during the game 25k.Their are all kinds of silly rules,or rules that infringe on your rights and freedoms that we sign on to.If there was no rule structure in place of course a suit is in order.If there was……..
And here is her unbelievably lame response in which she implicitly confirms that in her earlier email she had lie and further here utterly fails to respond to the larger issues raised.
***
Dear George,
Thank you again for writing and for your perspectives on the change in NPR’s distribution of World of Opera.
Hosts of NPR produced or distributed programs are highly visible public figures that represent NPR and our programming. It’s NPR’s view that, as such, these hosts â┚¬“ regardless of the type of program they host â┚¬“ cannot serve as both the voice of that program and the voice of an activist movement or any other organization without potentially running afoul of what NPR stands for as an impartial and unbiased provider of news and information.
I fully respect that people can and do disagree about whether a public figure who is the host of a music program that NPR distributes should be accountable to NPR’s standards. These are not easy issues and we don’t pretend to have all the answers. What I can say is that in this case, after thoughtful consultation with WDAV, we made the decision we believe is in the best long-term interests of NPR and NPR journalism. We wish WDAV every success with the program and are working with them to ensure an easy transition.
It is clear that you feel passionately about the role and value of public radio. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.