Less than a day after the website FireDavidGregory.com launched, it has collected nearly 1,000 signatures for a petition calling on NBC to fire its chief White House correspondent.
As of 1 p.m. Saturday, the petition had 905 signatures. The petition is addressed to NBC Chairman Bob Wright, and it asks that he “immediately fire Mr. Gregory or ask him to resign.”
As HUMAN EVENTS first reported yesterday, the petition was inspired by two recent incidents involving Gregory that made him “part of the stories he is supposed to cover.” The petition says, “This is not the proper role of a journalist, especially someone as powerful of Mr. Gregory, who covers President Bush and the White House.”
It cites Gregory’s antics at the White House—calling spokesman Scott McClellan “a jerk”—and his recent interview with Dom Imus when he laughed uncontrollably, prompting Imus to question if he was drunk.
“These two episodes illustrate serious breaches in journalistic integrity,” the petition says. “Mr. Gregory has done damage to NBC News' reputation and the reputation of journalism as a whole. Journalists should report the story, not become a part of it. Mr. Gregory, who was unable to control his emotions at a White House press conference and behaved inappropriately on a nationally syndicated radio program, is unfit to work for NBC News.”
UPDATE - 2:01 p.m.: The petition just collected signature No. 1,000.
