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vivian schiller:NPR CEO Vivian Schiller is now under fire for her personal Juan Williams comments tonight. Vivian Schiller fired Juan Williams earlier today for his personal remarks; but by evening, Schiller was under fire because of her personal remarks.

Vivian Schiller stated earlier today that NPR had employed Juan Williams as a information analyst, not as a commentator or columnist. Vivian Schiller says that there is a difference, the fact that difference is important to NPR reporting, and also the Williams was warned several times of the distinction.

Vivian Schiller sent an email to NPR member stations today explaining that the commentator or columnist is invited by NPR to be controversial. But a information analysts, in contrast, is prohibited by NPR from taking a “personal community positions on controversial issues”. Schiller says Williams’ task as an analysts, like others, loses credibility when the NPR member of staff reports the information with a community position.

Williams’ remarks weren’t while functioning for NPR but while appearing on FOX News. And yet, Schiller says that NPR policy particularly relates to analysts actions as family and friends on other “tv or other media”. Schiller cited the policy that prohibits them from appearing on exhibits that stimulate “punditry” not “analysis”.

But the scandal took a new direction.

Schiller took towards Atlanta Press Club on Thursday to discuss Williams again. She stated (according to NPR’s personal Mark Memmott) that Williams features a psychiatrist. Memmott reports that “the network’s CEO told an viewers at the Atlanta Press Club earlier today ….. [that] NPR information analyst Juan Williams must have kept his feeling about Muslims between himself and “his psychiatrist or his publicist”.

Schiller was quick to apologize. “I spoke hastily and I apologize to Juan and others for my thoughtless remark.”