In the past few months, three notable firings have exposed mass media ethics for what they truly are: A closed circle bearing the name of “political correctness” with stern consequences for deviation.
Or, more simply, journalists aren’t allowed to say certain things, at any time, if they want to work for the largest media outlets.
It began with Helen Thomas, former member of the White House Press Corps and columnist for Hearst Newspapers. Her lengthy media career came crashing down when she expressed her contrarian views toward the state of Israel in an interview with Rabbi David Nesenoff. When asked if she had any comments on Israel, Thomas replied, “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.” Reflecting on her words several months later, Thomas groaned, “I hit the third rail. You cannot criticize Israel in this country and survive.”
Right you are, Grandma Thomas.
The next to go was Rick Sanchez, former CNN host and contributor to Anderson Cooper 360. While on the radio show “Stand Up With Pete Dominick” on Sept. 30, Sanchez called John Stewart a “bigot.” Following this, he exclaimed, “I’m telling you that everybody who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart.” This became the nail in the coffin for Sanchez, with media coverage suggesting he was making the overused and unfounded claim that Jewish people rule the world — or at the least the media. Sanchez was fired from CNN, and the case for media hysteria grew stronger.
The latest firing fell on Juan Williams, the host of NPR’s “Talk of the Nation.” While Williams was on Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor,” he described a personal fear about air travel. “When I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.” Williams was fired from NPR for this statement.
These three instances are the most recent examples of the mass media seeking to force syncretism on a simply irreconcilable issue — people having opinions.
Thomas, Sanchez and Williams were not fired for blasting hateful speech on their own talk shows or in their respective columns. They were removed for the views they held and spoke about on other venues. And while these views may indeed by frowned upon by the majority of Americans, they are still the opinions of the respective journalists.
Though they may have committed the grave sin of actually having and expressing an opinion, censorship should not have been the answer.
So while I’m not going to defend their actions of ignorance, I am going to condemn their employers for firing them.
In Thomas’ case, the White House played a role in her removal. This action jeopardizes both her freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. As for her remarks, they’re her own — and not terribly uncommon outside the U.S.
For Sanchez, the card of “anti-Semite” was dealt for the billionth time in the media — and this card has the power to ruin a career indefinitely. As for Williams, his sentiments are not far from what one could expect from FOX News — which just so happens to be his new home. As much as our nation has tried to move beyond prejudice against Muslims, the post-Sept. 11 world still has its skeptics when it comes to air travel — one of which would be Williams.
If I understand the motivation behind the firing of these journalists correctly, they were expected to remain objective — even beyond their own media outlets. And as each of them shockingly revealed they held inward biases and opinions (gasp), they became outcasts for being human. Scientific objectivity is merely an illusion, no matter who claims to possess it.
So if it is indeed a fireable offense to hold contrarian views in the media, how would it go over if I made some crazy claims of my own?
What if I said LSU should have an all-white fraternity to equalize the imbalance caused by the stigma of having an intentionally all-black fraternity?
What if I said concealed carry permit holders should be allowed to carry guns on campus? Or that  cheap housing surrounding campus, including the run-down areas of Gardere Lane and Alvin Dark Avenue, should be reserved for student housing only to provide safer living arrangements and alleviate the crime that has come to epitomize these areas?
What the hell, why don’t I just say Gov. Bobby Jindal is right — we do need better leadership right now, both in University administration and in state government.
I realize these points are mostly politically incorrect, but would you really rather the alternative — censorship?
Long live freedom of speech.
Andrew Robertson is a 23-year-old English writing and culture senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_Arobertson.
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Contact Andrew Robertson at [email protected]