I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.

[mountaineer]

I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.
Uri Berliner, a veteran at the public radio institution, says the network lost its way when it started telling listeners how to think.
By Uri Berliner
April 9, 2024

You know the stereotype of the NPR listener: an EV-driving, Wordle-playing, tote bag–carrying coastal elite. It doesn’t precisely describe me, but it’s not far off. I’m Sarah Lawrence–educated, was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother, I drive a Subaru, and Spotify says my listening habits are most similar to people in Berkeley. ...

So when I got a job here 25 years ago, I never looked back. As a senior editor on the business desk where news is always breaking, we’ve covered upheavals in the workplace, supermarket prices, social media, and AI.

It’s true NPR has always had a liberal bent, but during most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding.  ...

Like many unfortunate things, the rise of advocacy took off with Donald Trump. As in many newsrooms, his election in 2016 was greeted at NPR with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and despair. (Just to note, I eagerly voted against Trump twice but felt we were obliged to cover him fairly.) But what began as tough, straightforward coverage of a belligerent, truth-impaired president veered toward efforts to damage or topple Trump’s presidency.  ...

In recent years, however, that has changed. Today, those who listen to NPR or read its coverage online find something different: the distilled worldview of a very small segment of the U.S. population.  ...

Read entire article at The Free Press

[Wingnut]

Like many unfortunate things, the rise of advocacy took off with Donald Trump.

(Lesbian, EV-driving, Wordle-playing, tote bag–carrying coastal elite) bitch please!

Your premise is flawed. the so-called "rise" happened way way before the Trumpster got elected.  NPR has been advocating destructive idea's for over 30 years at least. 

[mountaineer]

This will come as a surprise to absolutely no one:

Senior Editor: NPR Employs 87 Democrats in Editorial Positions, 0 Republicans in DC Newsroom
By Wendell Husebø
9 Apr 2024
Breitbart

Far-left National Public Radio (NPR) employs 87 registered Democrats in editorial positions but zero Republicans in the same positions in its Washington, DC, headquarters, NPR Senior Editor Uri Berliner wrote Tuesday.

Berliner, who admittedly leans left, wrote a scathing article about NPR’s illiberal newsroom, slamming the taxpayer-funded network for refusing to address “a diversity problem” within the office.

In an article published in the Free Press, Berliner said he opposed many of the left-wing and perhaps false narratives NPR spun about the coronavirus “lab leak theory,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Hunter Biden’s laptop, former President Donald Trump, and the 2016 Russia hoax. ...

Taxpayer funds subsidized NPR’s budget by nearly 11 percent. ...

[Timber Rattler]

More here:

All (Approved) Things Considered: How We Lost Our Way at NPR

https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2024/04/09/all-approved-things-considered-how-we-lost-our-way-at-npr-n3786167

[Cyber Liberty]

I'd bet the Authoress will vote Biden this year.  This is CYA bullshit.

[Bigun]

(Lesbian, EV-driving, Wordle-playing, tote bag–carrying coastal elite) bitch please!

Your premise is flawed. the so-called "rise" happened way way before the Trumpster got elected.  NPR has been advocating destructive idea's for over 30 years at least.

 

[Fishrrman]

"NPR":
Nothing but
Partisan
Rhetoric

[PeteS in CA]

The article author has been at NPR ~25 years, so he does have in insider's view. I think, though that he does not realize that he is citing, to borrow an economics term, "lagging indicators". The audience shift is a consequence of  - i.e. follows - shifts and changes in NPR content. This, similarly, is a "lagging indicator" phenomenon.

Like many unfortunate things, the rise of advocacy took off with Donald Trump. As in many newsrooms, his election in 2016 was greeted at NPR with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and despair. (Just to note, I eagerly voted against Trump twice but felt we were obliged to cover him fairly.) But what began as tough, straightforward coverage of a belligerent, truth-impaired president veered toward efforts to damage or topple Trump’s presidency.

Persistent rumors that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia over the election became the catnip that drove reporting. At NPR, we hitched our wagon to Trump’s most visible antagonist, Representative Adam Schiff.

Trump did not cause the hysterical shift into partisanship at NPR. The 2016 shift was because NPR "reporters" and other staff were already extremely partisan - that is the significance of "his election in 2016 was greeted at NPR with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and despair," "I eagerly voted against Trump", and "truth-impaired president" - but they had not previously incorporated the full depth of their partisanship into what they broadcast and published online. Actual fairness and objectivity left NPR's building in the 1970s, if those qualities ever even entered it.

[roamer_1]

I'd bet the Authoress will vote Biden this year.  This is CYA bullshit.

Yeah...

But, admission is admission. That's a something.

[Wingnut]

Yeah...

But, admission is admission. That's a something.

Admonishment would be better.

[roamer_1]

Admonishment would be better.

Give him a kick, right in the hiney... I will applaud.

[LMAO]

I was in college about the time of the Clarence Thomas hearings. On my way to school, I was listening to NPR in my truck and they had a 15 minute segment about other women who came forward accusing Thomas of some kind of sexual impropriety. Not once did they say who was accusing him or what exactly the accusation was. I was left wanting. But, I have no doubt a segment of their audience ate it up without questioning it

NPR's slant goes back before Trump

[Cyber Liberty]

I was in college about the time of the Clarence Thomas hearings. On my way to school, I was listening to NPR in my truck and they had a 15 minute segment about other women who came forward accusing Thomas of some kind of sexual impropriety. Not once did they say who was accusing him or what exactly the accusation was. I was left wanting. But, I have no doubt a segment of their audience ate it up without questioning it

NPR's slant goes back before Trump

I worked at an NPR affiliate in 1977.  They were whack then.

[DefiantMassRINO]

NPR - a waste of taxpayer money.

[Wingnut]

Uri Berliner will be out of a job soon.  NPR employees will see to that.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Subaru's are liberal cars? Asking for a friend? 

[Timber Rattler]

The article author has been at NPR ~25 years, so he does have in insider's view. I think, though that he does not realize that he is citing, to borrow an economics term, "lagging indicators". The audience shift is a consequence of  - i.e. follows - shifts and changes in NPR content. This, similarly, is a "lagging indicator" phenomenon.

Trump did not cause the hysterical shift into partisanship at NPR. The 2016 shift was because NPR "reporters" and other staff were already extremely partisan - that is the significance of "his election in 2016 was greeted at NPR with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and despair," "I eagerly voted against Trump", and "truth-impaired president" - but they had not previously incorporated the full depth of their partisanship into what they broadcast and published online. Actual fairness and objectivity left NPR's building in the 1970s, if those qualities ever even entered it.

If you look at the graph at the Hot Air link I posted, the NPR trust problem started about 2000, during that year's Presidential election and incessant vote recounts and hanging chads.

[mountaineer]

Subaru's are liberal cars? Asking for a friend? 

Not a good stereotype, is it? I've had two, and some of my best conservative friends own them.

[mystery-ak]

‘Strongly Disagree’ — NPR Rejects Accusation of Political Bias from Veteran Editor

NPR issued a hasty rebuke Tuesday to senior business editor Uri Berliner after he took the broadcaster to task over its lack of diverse views and opinions bookended by left-wing bias.

https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2024/04/10/strongly-disagree-npr-rejects-accusation-of-political-bias-from-veteran-editor/

[Timber Rattler]

‘Strongly Disagree’ — NPR Rejects Accusation of Political Bias from Veteran Editor

NPR issued a hasty rebuke Tuesday to senior business editor Uri Berliner after he took the broadcaster to task over its lack of diverse views and opinions bookended by left-wing bias.

https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2024/04/10/strongly-disagree-npr-rejects-accusation-of-political-bias-from-veteran-editor/

I'd love to be a fly on the wall inside NPR's offices this morning.

[andy58-in-nh]

Subaru's are liberal cars? Asking for a friend? 

Only if the liberal in the Subaru is also a lesbian.

[Wingnut]

Only if the liberal in the Subaru is also a lesbian.

Women wearing comfortable shoes and flannel drive Lezbaru's.

[mountaineer]

Around here, where the roads are hilly and winding, and occasionally snow-covered, the most sensible cars to drive are Subarus and Jeeps (with or without sensible shoes).

[mountaineer]

Western Lensman
@WesternLensman
How can we ever forget NPR's courageous stance to ignore a major, relevant story on the eve of a presidential election.
True journalistic heroism.
9:09 AM · Apr 10, 2024

[massadvj]

Political bias is an integral part of everything NPR does, unfortunately. "All Things Considered" used to be left leaning but fair. Today it is one story after another about victimhood from evil oil companies, or global warming, or white supremacists, or whatever other right wing boogeyman they can configure.  Even the game shows routinely bash Trump, Christianity, traditionalism with gags that are intentionally designed as "inside" jokes that only the enlightened would appreciate. My favorite NPR program is "Fresh Air" with Terry Grosse. I download that program regularly, but I used to listen to it daily. It has become impossible to listen to anymore because so many episodes are devoted to anti-right or pro-left themes. Now I pick the episodes to download, and find maybe just 20 percent are on subjects that might matter to a broad range of people.

If you liked the old NPR, I recommend you go to the BBC website. There you can download quite a few great programs that are nearly devoid of bias. Three that I recommend highly are You're Dead to Me, In Our Time and Uncanny. There are literally thousands of hours of great podcasts at BBC. BBC in general is still somewhat left-biased, but it does not creep into every program the way it does at NPR.