From:NPR Communications
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 6:12 PM
Subject: From Dana Rehm: Communications AlertTo: 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.
Here’s a question for Conservatives who think National Public Radio is the Evil Dark Star of Liberalism: How do you ‘splain the firing of Lisa Simeone?
There’s no reason you should know who Simeone is…unless you’re an opera fan, and even then you might not recognize her as producer of a radio show called World of Opera.” Simeone, during her free time, had been participating in a non-violent occupation of Washington, DC’s Freedom Plaza. The Conservative blogosphere has evidently outed Simeone as a leader of Occupy DC. This is where the fun begins….
That same day, NPR persuaded a company for which Simeone worked to fire her, cutting her income in half and purging from the so-called public airwaves a voice that had never mentioned politics on NPR.
Yes, NPR has a policy in place which proscribes employees from engaging in political activities; something about maintaining “journalistic integrity and objectivity”, I suppose. Except that Simeone isn’t an employee of NPR, nor of WDAV, the radio station that produces World of Opera. She’s a freelancer with WDAV. As a freelancer, she isn’t subject to the rules of either WDAV or NPR. Both WDAV and NPR are free to select whatever contractors they decide to work with, but I have to wonder if NPR isn’t engaging in a willful suppression of Simeone’s free speech rights.
What is NPR afraid I’ll do — insert a seditious comment into a synopsis of Madame Butterfly?
This sudden concern with my political activities is also surprising in light of the fact that Mara Liaason reports on politics for NPR yet appears as a commentator on FoxTV, Scott Simon hosts an NPR news show yet writes political op-eds for national newspapers, Cokie Roberts reports on politics for NPR yet accepts large speaking fees from businesses.
What violation is Simeone guilty of? What employment standard did she violate? The answer, quite simply, is none. This smells an awful lot like NPR asking “How high?” when Conservatives say “JUMP!” I have to wonder if NPR would have reacted in a similar manner if one of their contractors had participated nonviolently in a Tea Party rally? It appears NPR executives are terrified of how Conservatives will respond to…well, just about anything…and have begun taking pre-emptive action to forestall and potential Conservative outrage.
As a freelancer, Simeone should not be considered bound by the standards of either WDA or NPR. If either entity is displeased with her for any reason, neither is bound to contract with her for her services. Instead, NPR decided to flex their muscles, effectively and maliciously squelching Simeone’s free-speech rights. I’d imagine there’s more to this story, of course, but if things are what they appear, then NPR is guilty of some truly reprehensible, anti-American, and anti-democratic behavior. I’d also imagine that a large number of people who donate regularly to NPR will be seriously reconsidering the destination of their charitable donations.
