Ellen Weiss
Encyclopedia
Ellen Weiss is a journalist
and three-time Peabody Award
winner. She joined National Public Radio (NPR) in 1982, eventually running the NPR News national desk and serving as executive producer of the NPR News magazine All Things Considered
. She was named NPR vice president for news in April 2007 and held that post until January 2011. She is currently executive editor at the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity
.
She attended Scarsdale High School
in Scarsdale, NY, and is a Smith College
graduate. She currently resides in Washington, D.C.
with her husband, Rabbi
David Saperstein
. They have two teenage sons.
for his comments on the Fox News program, The O'Reilly Factor
. Discussing terrorism on the show, Williams said he gets "nervous" when he sees people in "Muslim garb" boarding a plane; Williams appeared to make the comment in the context of a larger point, against generalizing all Muslims as terrorists, and some of the later debate around his remark centered on whether it should be understood in this larger context.
Weiss personally called Williams to fire him immediately over the phone on the basis of violating a provision in the NPR ethics guidelines against its staff expressing personal opinions.
Although an independent review process concluded that "Williams' contract was terminated in accordance with its terms", an e-mail statement from the NPR board of directors expressed "concerns regarding the speed and handling of the termination process" and said that led to "certain actions... with regard to management involved in Williams' contract termination."
Concerning her consequent resignation, which ended her 28 year career at the radio network, Weiss called her decision "extremely hard" but defended her firing of Williams: "What I would say is that the decision to terminate the Juan Williams contract by NPR, of which I was a participant, was based on the highest journalistic standards."
For his part, Williams accepted a $2m contract with Fox News, and went on to call Weiss' resignation "good news," describing her as "the enforcer of political correctness of liberal orthodoxy" at NPR.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and three-time Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
winner. She joined National Public Radio (NPR) in 1982, eventually running the NPR News national desk and serving as executive producer of the NPR News magazine All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
. She was named NPR vice president for news in April 2007 and held that post until January 2011. She is currently executive editor at the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity
Center for Public Integrity
The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit organization dedicated to producing original, responsible investigative journalism on issues of public concern. The Center is non-partisan and non-advocacy and committed to transparent and comprehensive reporting both in the United States and around...
.
She attended Scarsdale High School
Scarsdale High School
Scarsdale High School is a public high school in Scarsdale, New York, a coterminous town and village in Westchester County, New York. The school was founded in 1917...
in Scarsdale, NY, and is a Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
graduate. She currently resides in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
with her husband, Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
David Saperstein
David Saperstein (rabbi)
David Saperstein is a rabbi, lawyer, and Jewish community leader. He has served as the director and chief legal counsel at the Union for Reform Judaism's Religious Action Center for more than 30 years. Saperstein succeeded Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch as leader of the Washington D.C.-based political...
. They have two teenage sons.
Juan Williams controversy
On January 6, 2011, Weiss agreed with NPR to resign from her position for her role in the October 2010 firing of political analyst Juan WilliamsJuan Williams
Juan Williams is an American journalist and political analyst for Fox News Channel, he was born in Panama on April 10, 1954. He also writes for several newspapers including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal and has been published in magazines such as The Atlantic...
for his comments on the Fox News program, The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
. Discussing terrorism on the show, Williams said he gets "nervous" when he sees people in "Muslim garb" boarding a plane; Williams appeared to make the comment in the context of a larger point, against generalizing all Muslims as terrorists, and some of the later debate around his remark centered on whether it should be understood in this larger context.
Weiss personally called Williams to fire him immediately over the phone on the basis of violating a provision in the NPR ethics guidelines against its staff expressing personal opinions.
Although an independent review process concluded that "Williams' contract was terminated in accordance with its terms", an e-mail statement from the NPR board of directors expressed "concerns regarding the speed and handling of the termination process" and said that led to "certain actions... with regard to management involved in Williams' contract termination."
Concerning her consequent resignation, which ended her 28 year career at the radio network, Weiss called her decision "extremely hard" but defended her firing of Williams: "What I would say is that the decision to terminate the Juan Williams contract by NPR, of which I was a participant, was based on the highest journalistic standards."
For his part, Williams accepted a $2m contract with Fox News, and went on to call Weiss' resignation "good news," describing her as "the enforcer of political correctness of liberal orthodoxy" at NPR.