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On Friday NPR decided it would no longer distribute an opera program because of the political activism of the program’s host–who does not work for NPR.
A controversy erupted over freelance radio host Lisa Simeone’s participation with an activist group occupying a park in Washington, D.C. Simeone was promptly fired as host of the documentary program Soundprint (AP, 10/20/11), which cited NPR ethics guidelines. NPR claims it had nothing to do with that firing (Poynter.org, 10/20/11).
On Thursday, North Carolina station WDAV, which produces World of Opera, announced it would keep Simeone as the host of the program. The very next day, NPR declared it would cease distributing World of Opera (AP, 10/21/11).
Despite the fact that Simeone’s politics would seem to be entirely irrelevant to her role as an opera host, an NPR spokesperson explained the supposed ethical issues at stake: “We are not her employer, but she is a host for a show that we distribute…. She’s a public person who represents NPR and public radio.”
NPR spokesperson Dana Davis Rehm elaborated (AP, 10/21/11):
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