Discussion: Reports: NPR Staff Unhappy With How CEO Handled Allegations Against Editor

It took me until the end of the story to realize that the staff is unhappy that Oreskes was not canned earlier. Until that point, it could have been that they were upset that he was shown the door.

Old adage in the news business: Get the lead nice and high.

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Writer must have edited it. See first paragraph.

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I am still a little confused. Were they upset because of NPRā€™s handling of the news Oreskers had a history at the NY Times and did little or because he had the one referenced incident at NPR?

ā€œThere had been rumors circulating around the building here, about his behavior. Rumors and gossip. We canā€™t act on that. We have to act on facts,ā€ Mohn said in the ā€œAll Things Consideredā€ interview.

This response is bullshit. Eight years ago I was Chairman of the Board of a non-profit organization when we were informed, via anonymous communication, that the President was engaging in inappropriate behavior. We promptly hired an attorney to conduct an independent investigation. When the attorneyā€™s report substantiated the allegations, the board voted to dismiss the President and I delivered the news to him and then worked to rebuild morale and trust with the staff.

Since the article states that the union is requesting an independent investigation, I have to assume that one hasnā€™t been conducted already. For Mohn to say, ā€œWe have to act on facts,ā€ when they havenā€™t tried to establish what the facts are, is complete and utter bullshit.

I just want to add that this was one of the most difficult things Iā€™ve ever had to do. I had known the President for 20+ years ā€“ Iā€™d attended his sonā€™s wedding. But, at the end of the day, I understood that my responsibility was to the organization, not to the individual. That didnā€™t make it any easier, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

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A little OT at first, but read it until the end:

Full Rick Perry quote on fossil fuels/sexual assault (yes, he really linked the two) -

Full Perry quote on fossil fuels/sexual assault pic.twitter.com/KH6pyApIYU

ā€” Timothy Cama (@Timothy_Cama) November 2, 2017
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Iā€™m glad you posted that, but Iā€™m not clicking on anything like that ever again. Iā€™m dizzy now.

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He has obviously been into the Maple Syrup againā€¦ canā€™t they hide it from him ?

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Who cares? Does anyone actually listen to NPR anymore?

Oh jeez, I forgot about the maple syrup thing.

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Sure, lots of ā€œprogressivesā€ still think itā€™s the catā€™s meow.

Itā€™s a shame theyā€™re unhappy. Iā€™m sure a few rousing interviews with PP supporters will cheer them up.

If youā€™re getting a lot of rumors and gossip, but not a word to your HR department, that tells you something about your organization, and not something good.

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This article is very poorly written.

In the lede we are told that employees are upset by ā€œthe moveā€

The move to fire?
The move to ignore earlier complaints? (Which does not seem like a ā€œmoveā€ at all).

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in the ā€˜All Things Consideredā€™ interview, Mohn alluded to a second incident at NPR occurring after the 2015 incident but he was really hedgy about details. Was sort of a weird interview. And I get that heā€™d be hedgy on the advice of NPR lawyers wanting to contain liability for the org, but it just felt off.

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Like I said, the report could have been clearer.

the editor had kissed two women and put his tongue in their mouths without their consent during business meetings while > he was working at The New York Times in the 1990s.

W.T.F.!?

As a male, I find such behavior unimaginable. I canā€™t even begin to imagine how a woman victimized in this way would feel.

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Mary Louise Kelly who interviewed the NPR executive on ā€œAll Things Consideredā€ should receive high praise. Just imagine interviewing your boss on national radio. Kelly grilled the man with a toughness that has mostly been absent from NPR in recent years. Kudos!

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Gossip and Rumor rewarded over regular order and verified testimony. Oh boy.

The smart glasses definitely arenā€™t helping Prick Perryā€¦

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