Juan Williams defines ‘journalist’

November 15, 2007

As has been widely reported this week, Daily Kos’ Markos Moulitsas will be a contributor to Newsweek, helping offer commentary on the 2008 presidential election. The magazine will apparently “balance” Markos with a yet-to-be-named conservative blogger.

Predictably, the announcement was not well received among conservative bloggers, but the more striking reaction came from NPR’s Juan Williams in an interview last night.

“[T]he fact is that he’s not a journalist in terms of someone who knows how to do reporting, someone who reflects balance in what he portrays. To the contrary, he engages in the kind of hyperbole and extreme statements that’s represented by that crass and, I think, offensive statement he made about those dead people.

“But you know what? I think that’s just what’s going on in journalism. I think that, you know, there’s more and more opinion, less and less people who know how to do the job. All you’ve got to do is shout, say something on the blog that offends and attacks the other side, and suddenly, you have the credentials, and you’re said to be a journalist. I think it’s a great lie.”

Juan Williams said this while answering questions from Sean Hannity, during an interview on Fox News.

The irony was apparently lost on the host, the guest, and the audience. What a shame.

Indeed, I’d just add that the closer one looks at Williams’ complaint, the stranger it seems.

* “[T]he fact is that he’s not a journalist in terms of someone who knows how to do reporting.” — I’m obviously not in a position to speak for Markos, but I don’t think he’s ever claimed to be a journalist, and as far as I can tell, Newsweek didn’t hire him to be a journalist. He’ll be an occasional contributor. As a prominent political player, that hardly seems like an unreasonable move for a magazine like Newsweek to make.

* “[H]e engages in the kind of hyperbole and extreme statements that’s represented by that crass and, I think, offensive statement he made about those dead people.” — I don’t know how often Williams reads Daily Kos — my guess is, not at all — but this isn’t a fair description of Markos’ work. As for the “offensive statement” Williams referenced, Markos apologized for it years ago.

* “I think that, you know, there’s more and more opinion, less and less people who know how to do the job.” — If that’s a genuine concern for Williams, I look forward to his announcement that he will no longer appear on Fox News.

* “All you’ve got to do is shout, say something on the blog that offends and attacks the other side, and suddenly, you have the credentials, and you’re said to be a journalist.” — Given that he was addressing Sean Hannity at the time, Williams looked pretty silly making the argument.

Indeed, given his slam on Markos last night, perhaps Williams would consider a follow-up question or two. Is Sean Hannity a journalist? What are his credentials as a professional that meet Williams’ standards? And if Hannity doesn’t qualify as a journalist, does Williams have any problem with him offering daily commentary on what is ostensibly a news network?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Oh. My. God. Get these people out of the bubble.

I have come to believe the people most susceptible to bias are centrists and journalists because they think they’re immune.

  • Actually, as Kos explained a couple weeks ago in a detailed post, he does in fact have journalism experience and one of his degrees is in journalism.

    Juan Williams, a vestigial ‘journalist’ in our vestigial media. Worthless as teats on a bull.

  • Shorter Juan Williams:
    But, but, Markos doesn’t stick with the NARRATIVE!!!
    How can he be a journalist if he doesn’t say what the rest of us are saying?

  • You are correct Markos can speak for himself, and he already has:

    After a hitch serving as an artillery fire director at the headquarters for a missile battery, he attended Northern Illinois University, winning dual degrees and majoring in philosophy, political science and journalism and minoring in German.

    From there, it was on to Boston University, where he earned his law degree.

    “I knew in law school that I never wanted to be a lawyer. It was a way to kill three years of my life,” he offered with a smile.

    He could have become a reporter—there was a job offer from the Associated Press—and he did freelance for three years for the Chicago Tribune, “but I decided I didn’t want to live vicariously through other people’s lives.”

    and

    But that’s not all! More recently, in 2005, I spent two weeks in the UK reporting on the elections for the Guardian. And yes, produced “journalism” like this and this.

    and

    Markos Moulitsas was a bit surprised to hear he had been inducted into the Northern Star Hall of Fame. Not that there’s any question whether he deserves the honor. It’s just that he had stepped on so many toes — at NIU and everywhere since […]

    As editor in chief of the Northern Star [college student newspaper] in 1995, Markos questioned — in both news stories and editorials — the practice of spending student fee money on athletic programs, a campaign that offended many NIU administrators.

    and

    Really, if being properly trained in journalism is the standard for credible blogging, Keen picked the worst possible example with me. I excelled in that area.

  • juan williams and cokie roberts are why i no longer give money to NPR, as i remind my local public radio station every fund drive.

    if juan williams is a journalist, i’ll eat my hat: he’s a reciter of narratives.

    indeed, williams is an example of something i wonder about all the time: what do our so-called “elite journalists” do all day, because obviously they don’t think that informing themselves is part of their job.

  • * “I think that, you know, there’s more and more opinion, less and less people who know how to do the job.”

    I would hope that other journalists would know the difference between “less” and “fewer” and use them accordingly. Sheesh.

  • “juan williams and cokie roberts are why i no longer give money to NPR”

    howard, I thought I was alone. I, as you, remind my local affiliate of this every fund drive. Although this last drive there was an additional reason–the DC local affiliate started this smarmy, uninformative, unimaginative and GOP-talking-point-directed regular feature called ‘Power Breakfast’ during their last fundraiser. They could not have timed it any better.

  • “All you’ve got to do is shout, say something on the blog that offends and attacks the other side, and suddenly, you have the credentials, and you’re said to be a journalist.”

    I have credentials as a journalist because I work in a newsroom. Getting hired here was a lot easier than doing it the way Markos did.

    In other words, Markos earned whatever credentials he has, whereas mine are worthless — yet Juan Williams would judge me to be the legitimate journalist.

  • The blogosphere is the place where the American people finally have a voice, and what a shock that has been to the establishment. They’re actually being held accountable for what they do and say, and some of them, maybe most of them, can’t take the heat, and don’t know what to make of it, that scary thing we pay lip service to but have long ago abandoned in favor of the special interests: democracy.

    We’ve always been here, but haven’t been heard, until the Internet came along. Now we have to see if we can really shake things up and get this sinking ship of America bailed out and back on course. Because the establishment isn’t going to do a thing on their own. They like it just the awful way it’s become.

  • “Balance” for the corporatist whore Juan W. is to station himself half way in between the Neo-con idiots on one hand and the Cheney cronies on the other hand.

  • It’s very nearly satire, don’t you think?

    Let’s start with one truth – Juan Williams is not a reporter himself; he is paid to have opinions – something we all have. And while he may think that his are more credible or more valid somehow because he came up through the old-style media, and is paid to both appear on TV and write a syndicated opinion column, that is, again, just another opinion.

    Those of us who are regular readers and commenters know something that Juan Williams apparently does not know – maybe he’s just taking the word of his Fox colleagues? – and that is that the blogs can be quite reasoned and intelligent, thoughtful and inquisitive, journalistic in their philosophy and relentless in getting to the truth, as well. It’s obvious to me that Williams is wholly unfamiliar with Daily Kos, and is just repeating the unfounded and baseless charges of his colleagues – which says more about Williams than it does about Markos.

    The other thing Williams apparently assumes is that we are so indiscriminate in our thinking and reasoning that we accept without question whatever is written on the blogs. Again, a little time spent in comments would reveal to Williams that we have little tolerance for unsourced information, and are happy to reject it or discount it on that basis.

    This is just a sad commentary on how useless and irrelevant so many of the traditional media types have become – Williams, Broder, Brooks – all happy to slam the blogs, and all three among the laziest, ill-informed and disingenuous members of the traditional commentariat.

  • Yet NPR is still curious as to why I stopped sending them money five years ago.

    And let’s be honest with ourselves, Jaun. Daily Kos, The Carpetbagger Report, TPM, etc. aren’t exactly just ‘blogs’ by any stretch of the imagination.

    If they can’t be realistic about the difference between professional blogs and any rant page that any ol’ person starts, then what’s to stop us from comparing NPR to any number of pirate radio stations or ham radio ranters?

  • If you’ll read between the lines, Juan defines a journalists as someone with a broken irony detector.

    The status of journalist is not something that is defined by a sheepskin from a school nor a job with a business, it’s a perspective. It’s the ability to view things objectively without imposing an individual viewpoint. It’s looking at the world with the personal filter of bias turned off. This is essentially an impossible task but one where good journalists get closer to achieving that goal than the rest.

    Even as a known progressive, Kos is remarkably even-handed in doling out criticism to folks on both the left and the right. At times Juan provides a non-Fox perspective while on the air there, but if he were truly objective he’d get fired from there. Juan’s a sell-out.

    That Juan was on Hannity demonstrates the punditification of what we used to know as journalism. I never see the man providing anything other than his opinion of news events. Juan personifies the rot that infests our political press corps. He decries outsiders as nobodies and can’t separate his opinion from incontrovertible fact.

  • “then what’s to stop us from comparing NPR to any number of pirate radio stations or ham radio ranters?”

    There’s a difference between them today?

  • Ellen put it best:

    “The pundits from the same network that regularly offers a sympathetic platform to Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin and others were suddenly howling about divisiveness in journalism.”

    Exactly.

    Can someone ask Juan Williams if Ann Coulter is a journalist, and if she should apologize for espousing murder? Maybe ask him why Fox should be considered a news station, given Coulter’s frequent outbursts of hate-filled hyperbole on that “news” network.

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  • I find balancing Markos with Karl Rove a compliment. They think a blogger is on equal par with Bush’s brain? At least it’s not some Red Stater with absolutely zero experience in journalism.

  • “He/she is not a journalist” is an ad hominem unless back up by research and facts. Williams provided none and the facts contradict his claim in Moulitsas’ case. Why didn’t Juan — a journalist — call up Kos and ask if he had any journalism experience? That’s what a journalist would do, Juan. It’s only non-journalists who offer uninformed opinions and do not even bother to do basic research.

  • Agree with #19 – I can’t wait for Kos to square off with Rove.

    Facts vs Hackery. My money is on the former, which has a well known liberal bias.

    Although I’m curious as to the format – I wonder if there will be editorial censorship?

  • I find balancing Markos with Karl Rove a compliment

    I agree. I think Juan Williams is just plain jealous, because Markos has a much larger audience. Same for Howard Kurtz. People read Markos and actually care about what he writes. People read Howard Kurtz and wonder “How’d this moron get this gig again??”

    And I stopped contributing to NPR because of Cokie Roberts, as well. I hope someone from NPR is reading this. Cokie Roberts should be replaced with someone who isn’t stuck in the why no matter what happens it will be a problem for the Democrats mold.

  • Let me lay it out for you: What Williams and the others are saying is not an exercise in understanding or explaining Kos (or ‘the left’ or whatever). Their outrage is of course disingenuous, and they know they’re full of crap. The exercise is in building a defense against Kos and all the people who might cite him. If you talk on Kos, then you don’t *belong,* which is supposed to be worse than actually attacking the guy directly.

    This rumbling from guests on HANNITY and (colmes) is actually a victory. It means there is progress. What must happen now is not to whine about how unfair these jerks are, but to just let them rant as much as they want to, with the certain knowledge that their definition of ‘belonging’ in the political discussion of the US is bullshit.

    There’s nothing to be gained by addressing these people directly; the gain has already been made, and they’re just sore about it. There is an audience for H&(c), and those people will never be convinced of anything other than what Hannity tells them. So freakin’ what? And Hannity will continue to lie to them all over the place. So freakin’ what?

    Here, let me show you by example:

    Hannity is full of shit. He’s pretty much irrelevant to the political discussion in this nation. He’s 100% opinion, based on failed policies, half-truths, and lies. End of discussion.

  • What #24 said.

    “Not a journalist” means, “who let you into the Country Club? Hannity and I have rules about this sort of thing. Another mint julip, Sean?”

  • remember when rush limbaugh was part of some networks election night coverage?

    i guess uber journalist juan williams doesnt.

  • I think the biggest reason for the outcry from the right is the fact that this provides another true left-leaning voice access to a ‘mainstream’ vehicle. The right is built on deception and lies and requires continued deception and lies to maintain itself. The more lefties gain such access, the greater the chance is that the rest of the american public will begin to hear progressive ideas, which means that the right’s job of keeping the masses in tow by deception and lies gets more difficult. They really don’t care about the ‘balance’–no, the problem is giving a sensible progressive a voice in the first place.

  • I think Newsweek waited to unveil the GoOPer tit for the Democratic-leaning tat just so nitwits like Williams would blow a gasket.

    Nicely played, Newsweek.

  • Speaking of jouramalism, check out “The Dean” returning to his own vomit.

    …But what interests me here is the level of outright denial we’re seeing at play. The inability of Broder and other pundits not to return to the topic of the Clinton marriage — as Broder did here despite suggesting a week ago that he wouldn’t — is really almost neurotic at this point, like a bad nervous habit or a facial tic…

    http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/11/david_broder_wr.php

    Now that’s journalism!

  • Consider the exalted position Karl Rove has in the village. Then consider that KOS has been held up as his equal.

    We’ve come a long, long way, babies.

  • Let us know what they have to say about Rove’s journalistic credentials (I personally can’t bring myself to watch those folks).

  • I have a journalism degree but I am not a practicing journalist (I got a D in Reporting and an A in Journalism Ethics, so naturally I ended up as a librarian).

    The problem is that there’s no professional accreditation/certification system in place for journalists, the way there’s a Bar Association for Lawyers and a Board Certification system for Doctors: organizations that can penalize and ban individuals for shoddy practices. If there was an organization that oversaw journalistic ethics and practices, then maybe just maybe we’d be seeing better reporting and news coverage and less bloviating and bullshit.

    I wonder if we should consider malpractice lawsuits against journalists and media outlets rather than pursuing slander or libel lawsuits, since for some godforsaken reason no one is using libel laws against the talking braindead anymore…

  • Well, Williams, with his great journalistic privilege, really shows his lack of understanding of journalism. Is is a “real” journalist, after all? Or just some pretender.

    It’s a good think our Founding Fathers knew a little better than to demand 20th century journalism standards for a free press. Gosh, in Colonial America, the media consisted of printers, lawyers and merchants. There were no newspapers.
    The pamphlets, broadsheets, journals and other publications were mouthpieces of the political parties, paid for by the political parties and bought by interested parties. There was no independent press corp in this age when only literate male landowners could vote.

    Newspapers didn’t come along until the 1850s when the country was seeing increased literacy, urban centers and cheap newsprint. The ‘yellow’ journalism period of the late 1800s wasn’t exactly noted for it’s unbiased even-handedness.

    But somehow, Internet hosts and bloggers, who better resemble the give-and-take of Revolutionary days than what Williams has pass for “legitimate”, is somehow to be looked down upon if not outright shunned. He’s about a step away from calling out for licensing of media, which has been upheld as unConstitutional and contrary to the nature of a free press and the ideals of our founding.

    Of course, the history of U.S. journalism is basic fodder in any journalism program, so it makes me wonder about the “credentials” of this patronizing elitist.

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  • I learned everything I needed to know about Juan Williams when he took over from Ray Suarez on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” in 2000. It went from a program that I hardly ever missed to one that I stopped listening to. Mr. Williams just wasn’t terribly impressive then, and now on Fox News he’s just your typical “journalistic” embarrassment.

    But hey, it’s working out great for him and for Fox, so that’s all that matters, right?

  • Somewhere in the office of Roger Ailes is a jar which contains Juan Williams’ testicles.

    This is too bad because I’m old enough to remember when he was actually a pretty good journalist. I would recommend the companion book to the documentary Eyes on the Prize to anyone.

    “Replacement cost, my ass”

  • I think Juan Williams is an excellent Journalist. You are all afraid of him because you know he is right. I loved his book, “Enough”. It was very informative and right on.

  • What is this “balanced” that Williams seems to revere so much? A journalist reports what happened. There is no balance, no nuance, just facts. Sometimes the facts favor one side, sometimes another. That’s what journalism is.
    If the reporter also provides insights about what is being reported on, then that reporter has moved into the “pundit” class – surely Mr. Williams can’t be complaining about someone doing that?

  • “[T]hat crass and, I think, offensive statement he made about those dead people.” – Williams

    I think it might have been interesting had he been asked “What statement about what dead people?”

    Yes, I remember what Markos said, who it was about, and the context it which he said it. But I truly wonder if Williams does or if he just has a fuzzy recollection that Markos was that guy who one time said something or other not nice about some dead people somewhere – and it’s just a free-floating anti-blogger talking point Williams carries around with him.

  • Mr Journalist Juan Williams on NPR Morning edition this morning ” I know that there has been questions raised about whether the Clinton campaign has already been sending messages to CNN and to Blitzer to say ‘you know, you have to be impartial'”
    Apparently,yesterdays debunking of this rumor and Wolf’s denial didn’t reach his ears since he was too busy hanging out with the real journalists on Fox News Channel
    What a maroon.

  • For the record, in a self-conducted survey of four right-wing mouthpieces, some interesting results emerge in the realm of “journalistic qualifications”:

    Sean Hannity dropped out of high school and never went to college.

    Rush Limbaugh made it through high school, but dropped out of college. Apparently his mom says he “failed at everything”, even failing a Ballroom Dance class.

    Michael Savage (if he can be seriously included) made it through college and graduated in the field of medical botany and medical anthropology. Not exactly the qualifications a journalist needs, but I guess the pay is better.

    Interestingly, of the four pundits I looked into, only Bill O’Reilly has a degree in (broadcast) journalism.

    Also, Juan Williams doesn’t have a degree in journalism. He has a degree in Philosophy.

    Why use degrees to measure qualifications? Well, because on-the-job training won’t necessarily guarantee you are taught about something called “ethics” and “integrity”, something many news networks have let slip out of their hands.

    And if Markos isn’t qualified even though he has a journalism degree, where does that leave Karl Rove?

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  • Juan Williams is a shameful hack and Kos is a respectable Journalist.
    Anyone who resides in the ‘Reality Based Community’ knows that.

    JW…no one with a working brain cell cares what you think.

  • I’m less than impressed by anyone who calls themself a ‘journalist,’ and especially Juan Williams, who accepts a paycheck from Rupert Murdoch for agreeing with Hannity and O’Reilly.

    I once had a job as a paid memeber of the world’s third oldest profession — I was a radio news director whose only experience and credentials were a few classes in journalism — basically how to write ‘who, when, where, how and why’ stories.

    As part of my job, I met a few very good journalists, but I encountered many more who essentially rewrote government press releases and agreed with their editor’s every whim. Pre-dating the Bush age, I recall one very attractive young woman who recited questions surreptiously handed to her by the mayor’s press secretary. Then they’d all break and head for the nearest bar. As I later heard, she was promoted and today anchors the news in some major market TV station.

    Williams should be forced to read George Seldes and George Orwell on the subject of the professional journalist. Orwell wrote that those considered real professionals in the newsroom are the dogs who do their tricks without having to be told first to roll over or beg.

    Fetch, Juan!

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