Sinclair fires reporter for criticizing anti-Kerry program

[ElsewheresDaughter]

...anyone else hear this?


Sinclair fires reporter for criticizing anti-Kerry program
Tuesday, October 19, 2004

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/10/19/sinclair.kerry/index.html

(CNN) -- The Washington bureau chief for a chain of television stations that plans to run a documentary critical of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Monday he was fired for publicly criticizing the company's decision to air the program.

In an interview published Monday, Jon Leiberman told The Baltimore Sun that Sinclair Broadcast Group's decision to air the 45-minute film as a news program was "biased political propaganda."

Leiberman later told CNN he was fired after the story hit newsstands.

"The reason for my firing was that I relayed what they called proprietary information from an in-house meeting and I divulged it to the media, which is against company policy," he said.

Corporate spokesman Mark Hyman confirmed Leiberman's dismissal and said the company did not comment on personnel matters.

Leiberman told CNN he had raised objections within the company to airing the film as a news program, and "just basically said, 'I don't want to be a part of it.'" He said he was warned not to go public with his objections and was canned when he did.

"I knew this was a possible consequence," Leiberman said. "I really wanted them to just change the ways that they do things. I've been telling them for months that they need to change the way they do things."

more...

[Killarney]

1. sounds true to me

do you have a link for what you have on there about him telling cnn?

[ck4829]

2. It sounds true. I would like to forward this to my Group.

So I need a link.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

3. link

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/10/19/sinclair.kerr...

[ck4829]

7. Thanks

Although I already got the Google link you sent me.

The story I have is at
Anti-VRC

[wishlist]

4. Here is link to CNN story about this online today

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/10/19/sinclair.kerry/index.html

This story is headlined "Sinclair fires reporter for criticizing airing of anti-Kerry program"

[ElsewheresDaughter]

6. thank you!

[Tim4319]

5. I heard that this morning on my way to work.

[Q]

8. This brings up an issue that involves the entire American media...

...and that is...if they want to keep their jobs, they have to tow the party line.

- Jon Stewart tried to point this out on crossfire. Begala and Tucker can't wander outside the party line or they'll find themselves looking for a job.

- Lieberman was one of the few who couldn't take it any more and finally told the truth. For that...he lost his job and income. How many remain silent?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. exactly Q and imo Jonathan Lieberman is a HERO maybe CNN will hire him

andmaybe i'll win the megabucks lottery alone?

[OutsourceBush]

12. yea, he will probably be radio-active after this

It was heroic for sure, but that don't pay the bills.

[tom_paine]

10. More Totalitarianism from Bushevik Scum

It never stops. And these are The Good Old Days.

I wouldn't give a bucket of warm spit for the people alive in Imperial Amerika in 2100.

[PresidentErnestTBass]

15. Read what Bush did to this reporter

http://theknightshift.blogspot.com/2004/10/night-george-w-bush-ordered-thug-to.html

That's what got me signed up for DU a few days ago. Found this blog and thought it'd be a good thing to jump aboard with :)

[reprehensor]

11. bump

[wishlist]

13. If journalists don't agree to run pro-Govt propaganda, they will get fired

If he had not spoken out publicly in violation of employee policy, they would still have fired him for insubordination and failure to do his job since he refused to do their bidding in airing the program under the guise of 'news'. However, you can be sure he would not have been fired until after the film had already aired as 'news'. So he felt compelled to speak out now to expose the fraud and misuse of public airwaves.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

14. Jon Liebeerman on MSNBC now!!!!