Don't you ever speak your mind!

Goodbye Rick Sanchez. So much for journalist being able to speak their mind in a world full of commercial pressures from the big boss. This clip goes to the heart of our class discussion on what a Journalist's role is to both the network and themselves. Obviously, CNN feels that Mr. Sanchez's behavior is for them to monitor regardless of whether he is on the clock at CNN or not. He is a "representative of the brand" and the brand rules all. If CNN's consumer base possibly finds his comments offensive then CNN feels like it must protect its image. They make no separation between the individual and the brand. This raises a serious question. Can journalist lead a truly private life. Though I find Mr. Sanchez's comments anti-Semitic and ignorant, I respect his first amendment right to speak his mind, especially on his own time. But these are different days, when commercial pressures command the stage, an individual’s comments can be deadly. Somewhere, deep in the bowels of Mr. Sanchez's contract there probably sits a vague sentence about personal conduct that the company may find offensive they are able to take action, but do we want news robots? His firing shows how sensitive and fickle the race for rating can be, when an offhand comment in a non work environment ends your CNN career,