Lisa Simeone confirms her firing from public radio's 'Soundprint' show

[Recursion]

Source: Baltimore Sun

Public radio host Lisa Simeone Thursday confirmed a report published here and elsewhere that she was fired Wednesday by the public radio series "Soundprint." The firing came as a result of what "Soundprint' executives saw an an ethical violation by Simeone for her work as a spokeswoman with October 2011, one of the groups involved in the Occupy D.C. movement.

While Simeone blasted NPR is an email response Wednesday night to questions from the Sun about National Public Radio saying it was looking into her October 2011 activities, she declined to respond to questions about whether or not she had been fired.

On Thursday, the Baltimore broadcaster confirmed her firing to the Associated Press.

A public radio source told the Sun Wednesday night that "Soundprint," a documentary series that is carried on NPR member stations but not produced by NPR, was adamant in its belief that she violated its ethics code.


Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/z-on-tv-blog/bal-npr-lisa-simeone-fired-soundprint-occupy-dc-20111020,0,939396.story?track=rss

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*facepalm*

God forbid the opera correspondent have a political view...

[Lint Head]

1. The everybody on Fox News should be fired for attending Tea Bagging functions.

[librechik]

4. Fox doesn't have ethics. That's the difference.

[tularetom]

2. Never heard of simeone or Soundprint

But you know NPR would never have the backbone to stand up for one of its employees or contractors.

I'm coming to the point where I agree with anybody who wants to defund that shitty organization.

They're scared shitless of republican and right wing critics.

[Recursion]

6. Her better known show is "World of Opera"

And it's not clear if she's still there or not. While it's a niche market, that is the best opera radio program out there.

[unc70]

12. salon.com reports WDAV is keeping her on "World of Opera"

Current story on salon.com reports:

UPDATE 2:35 pm. Scott Nolan, station manager of WDAV, tells Salon that
Simeone will remain as host of "World of Opera."

"Her activities outside of the job do not violate anything in our employee code
and have in no way affected her job performance," Nolan said in a phone
interview. "She's a terrific host and we look forward to working with her."

Updated with link to WDAV blog:

http://blogs.wdav.org/2011/10/20/more-on-wdav-world-of-opera/

[AnneD]

13. I listen to it....

Opera should really be seen live to get the full effect, but I enjoyed TWOO. It was a good show. I am disappointed again with NPR.

[unc70]

15. WDAV is showing spine in keeping her at World of Opera.

Hope they stay the course.

http://blogs.wdav.org/2011/10/20/more-on-wdav-world-of-opera/

[russspeakeasy]

7. The "cock" brothers will withdraw their money.

[swilton]

3. Lisa Simone Promotes October2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0SHahAgbQs

[Roland99]

5. IOKIYAAR

gotta love our "liberal" media!

[Owlet]

8. NPR has to grow a spine,

get off the Federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting tit and rely on subscribers. Every fundraising drive the station I belong to (WSHU) makes a point of saying that the Federal contribution is only around 6-7%. I understand the concern that without some sort of public subsidy that some listeners in sparsely-populated areas will be deprived of a Public Radio outlet. That's too bad, but it seems to me that the alternative of a negative NPR story every other month is more damaging to the the network than the Federal dollars are worth. If Congress is worried about rural listeners, then let it subsidize just those stations that have weak member bases. Yeah. Like that will happen real quick.

I like some of the stuff on NPR. I wouldn't contribute if I didn't, but the folks running it have to get out of this knee-jerk response mode.

Lisa Simeone has a compelling argument about the apparent double standard at NPR in "ethical" situations.


"I find it puzzling that NPR objects to my exercising my rights as an American citizen -- the right to free speech, the right to peaceable assembly -- on my own time in my own life," Simeone wrote in an email response to questions from the Sun Wednesday night.

"I'm not an NPR employee," she continued. " I'm a freelancer. NPR doesn't pay me. I'm also not a news reporter. I don't cover politics. I've never brought a whiff of my political activities into the work I've done for NPR World of Opera. What is NPR afraid I'll do -- insert a seditious comment into a synopsis of Madame Butterfly?"

Simeone went on to say, "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. Does NPR also send out "Communications Alerts" about their activities?"

Quotes available from the link above.

[MedicalAdmin]

10. Ah yes but those august personalities have sup and tea

with the 1 %. It's not what she did, it's who she did it with.



FUCK NPR. They don't get another fucking dime.

[AnneD]

14. She is in the right here.

From my POV, I have even more respect for her.

[Recursion]

17. This was Soundprint, not NPR

The producers and distributers are different, unlike most modern TV.

[Owlet]

19. Understood

But Soundprint used as its rationale for canning her the notion that she had violated NPR's code of ethics, not Soundprint's. Seems to me there's some real confusion among NPR management, if they can condone the firing of a freelancer for ethics violations yet keep on the payroll NPR employees who basically do the same thing that Simeone is accused of. Read her letter to NPR. Link is on the page referenced in the OP.

[SoapBox]

9. Outrageous...Contact NPR HERE...

http://help.npr.org/npr/includes/customer/npr/custforms/contactus.aspx

I stopped listening to NPR, around the time of the 2008 elections...I was SO over the "snark" that
was put out by the likes of Steve Inskeep, Cokie Roberts, Mara Liasson, Michele Norris...there was
always a "tone" when they discussed Dems and Obama.

Make no mistake...they are most certainly NOT Left Leaning and it's gotten worse and worse, going
to the Right.

[MedicalAdmin]

11. Already sent my letter to NPR and MPR

to let them know that I am canceling 3 memberships and telling them why.

[Recursion]

16. Why? NPR doesn't produce the show (nt)

[SemperEadem]

18. because they stepped right into the middle of it to encourage her being fired in the first place

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2150549


How WDAV "intends to handle this" is really none of NPR's business--that's WDAV's prerogative on how they choose to "handle this". NPR only airs it--the woman doesn't work for them: she provides content regarding opera to them. Period. This is a WDAV personnel matter into which NPR has no business interjecting their opinion. All they need to do is say "we're not going to carry her program any longer", not put the woman on blast in the hopes of impacting her finances. She still has a right to free speech and if her activities didn't violate her working contract with WDAV, then NPR has nothing to say about it.