James O'Keefe is at it again.
After making national headlines last year for a controversial video of the group Acorn (which was later revealed to be heavily edited), he is in the news again with another undercover operation.
This time, O'Keefe pulled the hidden-camera trick on Ronald Schiller, who, at the time, was an executive for National Public Radio (NPR). The tape caught him making disparaging comments about conservatives, specifically the Tea Party movement, which Schiller characterized as being racist.
Shortly after Schiller made these comments, NPR fired him. According to one of NPR's representatives, the firing was not because he held these beliefs about conservatives, but because he was speaking about them so openly. In NPR's view, it was unprofessional.
As a result of all this, there has been quite a bit of debate about whether or not Congress should retract the funding it gives NPR. Some argue that if an organization is going to receive funding from the government, it must be impartial. Many believe Schiller's statements went too far over the line, and therefore NPR should be defunded.
The Spectrum, however, does not agree. While Schiller's statements were certainly partisan, it is important to understand that Schiller's positions do not reflect what is said in NPR's content.
While many accuse the organization of being liberal, more often than not, its news programs simply state what is going on in the news, and do not favor one ideology over another.
Just because someone has a given set of beliefs doesn't mean his reporting (or his organization's reporting) will reflect those beliefs. Many journalists have strong opinions and ideologies, but do not reflect them in their work. When it comes to giving news to the people, they are able to look past individual opinions.
Keep in mind, Schiller had no idea he was being recorded. If he had known people were going to hear his remarks on such a wide-scale, he likely would have never made them.
Granted, it was a bit unprofessional to state his views so boldly, but there is a difference between saying these things publicly and being caught saying them privately.
We understand how some would consider it problematic for an organization receiving funding from the government to have any partisan views. Still, there are a few important things to realize.
One is that only 2 percent of the NPR's funding comes from the government, as it makes a lot more money from advertising and from its listeners. Additionally, it's not as though the views of one executive, who has been fired, reflect the views of everyone at NPR. One liberal in the midst of an organization does not make it a liberal organization.
While a journalist speaking so openly about personal biases is problematic, it is not enough for NPR to be defunded. It is, at heart, a news organization that works hard to present facts and not opinion. The hidden-camera video doesn't disprove that.
