I asked KOA’s Mike Rosen about his column in today’s Rocky.

I wrote: “You wrote in today’s Rocky that you’d have fired Churchill for what he said on and off campus, because his free speech rights are much broader in the Constitution than in his job. Would you also have fired Gunny Bob for his bigoted statement that Muslim immigrants, including naturalized citizens, should be tagged and stripped of their civil rights? This discrimination is apparently forbidden under Clear Channel’s employee code of conduct. Thanks for your views on this.”

Rosen replied: “No, I wouldn’t fire him. It would certainly be KOA’s prerogative to fire him, or me, if it chose.  But Gunny isn’t a college professor operating under a scholarly code of conduct at a taxpayer-funded institution.  He’s a talk show host with strong opinions employed by a private sector company. Have you listened to Keith Olberman or Air America lately? I disagree with your assertion that it violates Clear Channel’s employee code of conduct or FCC restrictions, for that matter.  Perhaps you could show me exactly what you’re referring to.  My understanding is that for on-air personalities, the policy relates more to language and off-color subject matter than to political opinions.  Gunny’s proposal was harsh, and goes farther than I would, but his language wasn’t obscene.”

Check out this exceprt from a LA times areticle. A website is using Indian journalists to do basic local reporting.

LOCAL NEWS REPORTING OUTSOURCED TO INDIA

One lives in Mumbai and will be paid $12,000 a year. The other will work in Bangalore for $7,200. The council broadcasts its meetings on the Web. From nearly 9,000 miles away, the outsourced journalists plan to watch, then write their stories while their boss sleeps …- India is 12.5 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. “A lot of the routine stuff we do can be done by really talented people in another time zone at much lower wages,” said Macpherson, 51, who used to run a clothing business with manufacturing help from Vietnam and India. So, on the Indian version of Craigslist, he posted an ad that said in part, “We do not believe that geographic distance between California and India will present unsurmountable problems, and that working together with you will result in your development of a keen working knowledge of this city’s affairs.” Dozens replied. One of the two chosen had attended the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Rob Gunnison, the director of school affairs there, is dismayed. “It just seems so fundamental to journalism to be there,” Gunnison said. “I still can’t quite believe it’s not a hoax.”http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-pasadena11may11,1,984491.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business

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