Public radio, as I mention earlier, has seen some of the worst of the #MeToo storm of sexual misconduct allegations and firings. It's not just NPR and PBS. Not to mention Garrison Keillor. It's also the locals.
Here are another two for the wall.
Two weeks after their abrupt suspensions, longtime WNYC hosts Leonard Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz have been fired. In a statement, spokesperson Jennifer Houlihan Roussel wrote “New York Public Radio has terminated the employment of Leonard Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz following two separate investigations overseen by outside counsel. These investigations found that each individual had violated our standards for providing an inclusive, appropriate, and respectful work environment.”
It’s a stunning end for two of WNYC’s most recognizable voices: Lopate interviewed everyone from Barack Obama to Liza Minnellion his long-running weekday show, while Schwartz maintained a devoted following for his weekend program dedicated to the American Songbook.
Schwartz declined comment when reached shortly after the announcement. Lopate said he was “really sad and totally shocked.” He called the decision “unjust.”
The Lopate show had previously hosted a chat with "Nasty Women".
Samhita Mukhopadhyay, Collier Meyerson and Sarah Jaffejoin us to discuss a new compilation of essays, Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America. Written entirely by women, the collection examines the last election as well as our current political landscape. It touches on themes like women's rights, resistance, discrimination, and how women can unify and move forward.
The revolution keeps eating its own. That's how it moves forward.
Identity politics works until you run out of other people's heads.