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The only taxpayer-subsidized radio network loses public's trust with one-sided news and opinion
Finally, National Public Radio — an echo chamber for those who revel in one-sidedness — is reportedly “in turmoil after it is accused of liberal bias” in its reporting and commentaries, The New York Times and other outlets reported on April 11.
The deep irony of the report on NPR’s alleged bias in the NYT — in particular — was made crystal clear when The Wall Street Journal reported in an April 12 story that was headlined “New York Times’ bosses seek to quash rebellion in the newsroom” that was followed by the following subhead: “After internal upheaval over coverage of sensitive topics like the Israel-Gaza war, management renews emphasis on independence and neutrality....”
Regarding NPR, it “is facing both internal tumult and a fusillade of attacks by prominent conservatives this week after a senior editor publicly claimed the broadcaster had allowed liberal bias to affect its coverage, risking its trust with audiences,” the NYT reported.
“Uri Berliner, a senior business editor who has worked at NPR for 25 years, wrote in an essay published Tuesday (April 9) by The Free Press, a popular Substack publication, that ‘people at every level of NPR have comfortably coalesced around the progressive worldview.’
“Mr. Berliner, a Peabody-award winning journalist, castigated NPR for what he said was a litany of journalistic missteps around coverage of several major news events, including the origins of COVID-19 and the war in Gaza. He also said that the internal culture at NPR had placed race and identity as ‘paramount in nearly every aspect of the workplace.’
“Mr. Berliner’s essay has ignited a firestorm of criticism of NPR on social media, especially among conservatives who have long accused the network of political bias in its reporting. Former President Donald J. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to argue that NPR’s government funding should be rescinded, an argument he has made in the past.
“NPR has forcefully pushed back on Mr. Berliner’s accusations and the criticism,” the NYT stated, quoting Edith Chapin, the organization’s editor in chief, as writing in an email to staff on April 9 the following:
“We’re proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories,” “We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world.”
All of other U.S. radio stations sell advertising to pay their bills — and they do a fair job in reporting, so we think the cure for the elitist and biased NPR is to give up its entire taxpayer subsidy – and live and work in the real world.
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