EVERY TIME there's an OP about a diatribe on NPR;

[greiner3]

On DU, there's this usual shit storm from the usual posters.

The latest is 'Why Some Public Radio Supporters Won't Be Donating to NPR This Year.'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022135384#post33

It's true, there are SOME segments of shows I would not call 'progressive.'

However, these segments of shows and are only limited to the news cycles of the moment.

Also, I'd call ALL NPR moderators to be a 'fair and balanced' lot. In other words, they do have interviewees (nearly always Republicans and Progressives interviewees. On the rare occasion there's only the Progressive guest, there's the ubiquitous disclaimer that an appropriate Republican guest declined to be 'interviewed.').

Much of the time, the moderators will call 'BULL SHIT.' They do this for both sides. Maybe it is this type of action (which is the ONLY way it should be) that gets these DU'ers goat.

In particular, which of these show do these posters have a problem with?

Morning Edition; A REAL news program.

All Things Considered; With hosts Robert Siegel, Michele Norris and Melissa Block, I challenge you to find anything but 'fair and balanced' talk and stories.

Fresh Air; Anyone calling Terry anything but entertaining has a HUGE problem with me!

Car Talk; DUH

On Point; With moderator Tom Ashbrook. He is great and will challenge any and all, callers AND guests.

Talk of the Nation; What's your problem with Neal Conan?

Science Friday; Get it, Science?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weekend Edition; Just a Republican leaning show celebrating and promoting pure capitalization.

Market Place Money; Another great show on the real life stories of finance and not a rehash of all that's wrong with shows such as 'Market Day' on MSNBC, Bloomberg and of course 'Fox Business.'

Radio Lab; Come on, anyone having listened to this wonderful show can't be serious when they call out NPR as being anything but Progressive.

TED Radio Hour; Other than that MINOR, and solitary, problem, this is a GREAT show.

Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me; TOTALLY Progressive leaning!

This American Life; If you think there is ANYTHING but great shows and stories you are mentally challenged!

A Prairie Home Companion; Again, totally Progressive leaning

StoryCorps; These are actually recordings of CDs stored in the Library of Congress. WTF is the problem here?

World Caft; I can't recall much of this show, but.....

Planet Money; Not another rehash of capitalism;

BBC News Hour; Ahhhhhhhhhh, what's the problem here?

Ask Me Another; 'Humor in a Jugular Vein'.

Toast of the Nation; Great show!

Travel With Rick Steves; Sometimes they do talk of traveling to non Progressive locations such as Europe, etc...

On the Media; 'While maintaining the civility and fairness that are the hallmarks of public radio, OTM tackles sticky issues with a frankness and transparency that has built trust with listeners and led to more than a tripling of its audience in five years.'

The various music programs during the 'off hours;'

There are several NPR shows that don't make it to my local NPR station; WOSU. Maybe it are these shows that these DU'ers are objecting to. But if this is the case, the few I have not listed most certainly are not the reason have such a diatribes about.

Speaking of this superb and nationally recognized station, WOSU (as the call letters imply, OSU supported (sorry about you Michigan fans ;p), there are wonderful and highly professional shows and interviewers in their own right;

Morning Edition;

All Sides With Ann Fisher; Ann could do a national NPR (TOO Left leaning to make it to regular TV) spot. If she did make the transition, Columbus would lose a local treasure, she is that good.

Columbus on the Record;

Humankind;

And as I mentioned above, there are some shows on WOSU I've never had the privileged to listen to.

There is another local NPR station, WCBE. This station is mostly other than classical music orientated. It does have some shows duplicated on WOSU but mostly music.

I have tuned in to this station (not my favorite of the two) on Sunday mornings. Once, there was a church service where the preacher went off on a homophobic rant. WTF?

Also, there is a sister station of WOSU that does play NOTHING but classical music; How dare they! Typical fascistic brain washing (I've actually heard some Wagner!).

So PLEASE, PLEASE, let me know what exactly the reason/reasons you hate NPR.

Oh, a couple of PSs here;

It is true there was a Republican Appointee during the Bush years (can't remember the name). During his tenure, his political bent showed through, some. This is no longer the case.

Gary Knell, president and CEO of Sesame Workshop is now the CEO of NPR. Oh wait, Sesame Street, you're right, another fascistic type!

He replaced Vivian Schiller. Vivian was forced to resign after, gasp, she was slammed by Republicans as promoting 'too much' of a Progressive stance; the horror, the horror.

And as to the point of the OP, NPR CANNOT refuse to air a corporation's 'message.' Any donated money from such gets so many plugs per cycle of giving.

I too detest fracking for the its MANY evils. My major is in Ecology (from OSU thank you very much!). I attended one of the IPP lectures and was enthralled.

I have been convinced, and knowledgeable, of Climate Change since reading an article 20 years ago penned by Carl Sagan on this topic.

I have also posted on the other thread.

[etherealtruth]

1. Thank you!

WDET Detroit:

The Progressive Underground, This American Life, BBC World Service, Fresh Air, This Island Earth ...

[Enrique]

2. did you mean to say "about NPR" in your OP?

that would make it make more sense.

[greiner3]

28. " that would make it make more sense."

Thanks. I am just now coming back to this post and see your point.

Funny thing? I spent an hour composing, editing and reediting and just missed, somehow, this salient point.

[Buzz Clik]

3. Fantastic post!!!

I might point out that some DUers have quit donating to NPR about 20 times. Folks, you can only quit donating once. After that, you're just making a stink.

I prefer the balanced approach of NPR. When I want rightwing insanity, I listen to Piggy. If I want a more left slant, there are many choices. NPR is awesome, and I hope to donate till they take my pledge card out of my cold, dead hands.

[saidsimplesimon]

21. Buzz Clik, laughing about the NRA "cold dead hands pledge card",

this is so true.

I support both NPR and PBS. What seems like yesterday, but is really decades ago, I joined with others on a campaign to convince the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that their support, both verbal and monetary, would be a real public service.

[snot]

4. I don't hate NPR. But I do feel that,

e.g., the Diane Rehm show regularly features more than one very conservative pundit while rarely including anyone I'd consider genuinely liberal. And their evening business news is clearly run by insiders who either don't understand important issues relating to things like bank bailouts and austerity or don't want to talk about them.

A couple of e.g.'s: Diane Rehm's only real coverage of concerns re- electronic voting and tabulation has been to whitewash it.

Another e.g.: The business news show has still never adequately covered the issues involved in the bank bailout (see http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022133561 ). Pretty much everything in Taibbi's recent article, and more, should have been crystal clear to anyone qualified to produce a show on business and the economy (not to mention anyone who knows how to use the internet; see, e.g., http://c-cyte.blogspot.com/2009/05/more-derivatives-for-dummies.html and the previous post it refers to). And beyond that, surely the questions were there for any journalist who knows enough to follow the money or ask, "who benefits"?

I continue to support NPR bec. it continues to air some great shows that have, apparently, not yet had the journalism crushed out of them. But much of what it present as news or commentary during the prime times is pretty feeble.

PS: I disagree that when you want a "left" point of view, there are "many choices." There are a few: Democracy Now, Alternet, Truthout, Common Dreams, Kos . . . but they're all bit players in terms of their resources and reach; they're Davids doing the jobs of the Goliaths.

[saidsimplesimon]

22. snot, the Rehm Show was never one I liked. However, in balance, she sure

is to the left of Beck and Limbaugh, lol.

[snot]

34. Beck and Limbaugh are a low bar.

I don't mean to pick on Diane; I'm sure she means well, and her show does some good.

But it's overloaded with pundits who are to the right of what I'd consider a true center; and she also allows the corporate media to frame the agenda and conversation.

[greiner3]

29. The Diane Rehm show is one of the NPR shows;

I spoke of. I have never heard it as WOSU does not carry it.

Nor have I heard it carried on stations on my long drives around the country.

I cannot have an opinion either way on this show.

[taterguy]

5. Car Talk went off the air last year

[Walk away]

7. They still play the best of them. nt

[saidsimplesimon]

23. taterguy, if we want to restore Car Talk, they need funding.

[taterguy]

27. Oh FFS

The Magliozzi brothers retired.

They had been at it 35 years.

It had nothing to do with funding.

[Walk away]

6. I love NPR and I have supported them for years.

I am one of those people who really hate to even hear republicans talking. I just switch to WBGO and listen to great jazz if something comes on that makes me grind my teeth.
They have some wonderful programing and their reporters, commentators and hosts are all intelligent and articulate. All this purity stuff is hard to adhere to especially when "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" and "Car Talk" is on.

[limpyhobbler]

8. I still like NPR but they used to be better.

I also see where NPR has become remarkably more bland over the past 20 years.

They got accused so many times of being the liberal media, they had to moderate a bit, so they ended up more bland. They do they whole "present both sides" thing. Such as, Democrats say it's sunny out, Repubs say it's raining. Nobody knows whose right. That may be balanced, but it's not fair to the audience who deserves to know the truth.

Environmentalists say fracking is dangerous/Oil companies say it's awesome.

Why they did no stories on Occupy Wall Street for the first two weeks:

We asked the newsroom to explain their editorial decision. Executive editor for news Dick Meyer came back: "The recent protests on Wall Street did not involve large numbers of people, prominent people, a great disruption or an especially clear objective."

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2011/09/26/140815394/newsworthy-determining-the-importance-of-protests-on-wall-street

Sounds like when Erin Burnett said on CNN: What are they protesting about??? nobody knows!

I still like NPR because they are a better alternative to mainstream radio. But they are not exactly a force for progressive change. They don't do investigative journalism. They don't even really provide insight or analysis.

I like the Michael Feldman/what do you know show.

[saidsimplesimon]

24. limpyhobbler, in my local market, NPR has aired investigative journalists'

from ProPublica. NPR is trying to maintain the "Public" in their name. Who wants media entirely slanted to one side of the political divide?

[greiner3]

31. "I like the Michael Feldman/what do you know show."

I do too. I don't know how I missed this one in doing my list.

"But they are not exactly a force for progressive change."

I believe that just their own brand of HONEST reporting, great interviewers and top notch shows are progressive.

What would you have, Jon Stewart and/or Rachel Maddow shows?

That would be great but shows like that would be way too heavy for radio.

Plus, that would be all the Republicans would need to finally shut down any and all funding for NPR.

[limpyhobbler]

32. oh yeah I like to make eggs and toast and listen to that show

I do a good western omelette type of thing.

NPR is not bad. Don't worry it's still a preset station on my car radio. But ever since the internet was invented I don't need it as much as I used to.

NPR doesn't really speak to me. I don't listen to it that much really. I feel like it is designed for a mostly white middle class audience and doesn't really reflect the viewpoints of people who are at the bottom of society. It's a very narrow audience.

I would like to see them incorporate a broader range of ideas and more alternative voices that reflect the true range of opinion and concern in America. I would even give more access to conservative opinion in exchange for allowing more progressive voices at the same time.

They should provide some time for community access. Maybe two hours/day. Any local person could get on the radio for 15 minutes and give a speech.

[Fumesucker]

9. A lot of the criticism is driven by when you listen.

If you listen to NPR during commuting time on the car radio then you're likely to be hearing Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Other than in the car I don't even have a radio any more other than an emergency crank radio, I doubt I'm alone in this.

Those two shows did switch over to "Shape of the Earth? Opinions differ." type political coverage sometimes in the mid to late 90's and have never really come out of that mode.

[coalition_unwilling]

10. NPR pimped Bush's imperial aggressions in Afghanistan and Iraq along with the rest of the

mainstream media. I stopped donating to them back in 2001 and have not looked back. When I have funds now, I donate to KPFK in Los Angeles.

If you donate to NPR, you're donating to the propaganda wing of a media that has the blood of over 1,000,000 INNOCENT AFGHANS and IRAQIs on its hands.

But whatever gets you through the night.

[heaven05]

17. exactly

haven't contributed or really listened like I did for many years before 9/11. Definitely turned right at that time. I loved car talk. I drove 18wheelers for many years in the 70's and 80's. NPR was a excellent road companion....it's a used to be radio network.

[saidsimplesimon]

25. coalition unwilling, I remain in oppossition to wars fought for oil, greed,

imperialism, and religion (what else would we people fight for?).

Like freedom of speech, which I think should be removed from those who stoke the fires of hatred, my opinion is just that, one among many.

[Scuba]

11. Sorry, I've listened to winger after winger claim "Social Security is broke" without challenge...

Last edited Sat Jan 5, 2013, 02:16 PM - Edit history (1)

... to that obviously lie. Your assertion that the bullshit gets called out is inaccurate.

[SoapBox]

14. Ditto.

[corkhead]

12. Agreed, Kochy Roberts and Mara LIE-ason are very "fair and balanced (TM)" in a "Foxy" kind of way.

No argument about much of NPR's programming. I really enjoy TAL, Radio Lab, American Routes, and others. It is the News department I have a beef with. I have listened to NPR for 30+ years, and I am sorry, but the news department has gone to shit in the last decade. I can hardly stand to listen to it anymore. I could site many examples, but one recent example comes to mind when Kochy Roberts breathlessly and excitedly proclaimed that the Presidential race was "virtually tied" with a week left. Nobody but Rmoney's inner circle and the Fox Noise network believed any of that shit at that point.

[SoapBox]

15. Ditto again.

I stopped donating and listening several years ago.

I could no longer take the snark Inskeep and Norris, no to mention Kochy Roberts and Foxy Liasson.

[saidsimplesimon]

26. SoapBox, I turn the dial, or tune out if it offends me.

I enjoy so much of NPR and PBS programming that I understand they are dedicated to President Obama's philosophy of "we are not Red States, or Blue States, we are The United States of America.

[greiner3]

30. "Kochy Roberts and Foxy Liasson"

If every on air personality NPR hires were of the Progressive bent, I would not give them as much credit as I do now.

What was that line in Yes' 'I've Seen All Good People;'

'Don't surround yourself with yourself.'

If you do, everyone would be both sycophant and 'the boss.'

BTW, the two I listed are the ones my post refers to. But what do you have against 'The Morning Show' with Steve Inskeep and Michele Norris?

[gulliver]

13. On Being with Krista Tippett

Excellent show.

And NPR has correspondents literally all over the world in the actual countries they report on. It is not just the best news on radio. It's the best news on.

[grantcart]

16. Most of the time its fine. I don't even mind Frum who is on quite a bit. But sometimes they

put on idiots to meet some idiot quota and I just turn it off.

On the whole its a plus.

[longship]

18. Saturday live Metropolitan Opera mantinee.

Not NPR, but not carried by anybody but NPR in the USA.

I rarely miss it.

[ybbor]

19. I quit listening to NPR years ago

when I found Al Franken's show and was introduced to Thom Hartman, Stephanie Miller, et al. I have not missed it at all. That being said, I do know that there is a need for it, but it has definitely moved too far to the right of center for me. I did listen for years before, but the more progressive shows I listen to now are so much better.

[Orrex]

20. The flagship news programs ATC and Morning Edition are at issue here

It doesn't matter whether Terry Gross is a great interviewer--she is, but that's not the point.

Morning Edition and ATC routinely offer unchallenged airtime to Republican and Conservative commentators. Any time anything at all happens in the Senate, they rush to give Mitch McConnell five minutes to air his views, followed by a briefly paraphrased summation of some lower-tier Democrat's opposing view. That's an exaggeration, of course, but not by much.

Just recently, in the long runup to The Fiscal Cliff, they featured Grover Norquist, and it went more or less like this:
Steve Inskeep was pretty rough on Grover this morning on NPR

Cokie Roberts is aired at least twice every Monday morning to rattle off the week's Conservative talking points, and no one dares to challenge even a single syllable out of her mouth.

EJ Dionne and David Brooks do their schtick on Friday afternoons, and never once has Brooks been called out for his bullshit--not once--nor has anyone had the nerve to point out on air that he has never been right about anything.

All Things Considered also devotes an annoying amount of airtime to low-value fluff pieces, like long reports on cookbooks and and the etiquette of proper champagne selection. These may be of interest to certain listeners, but they're hardly important news stories, and they certainly shouldn't drive other, more significant stories off the air.

I don't have specific verbatim examples because I listen on my way to and from work, and it's difficult for me to jot down notes while driving.

However, NPR's biggest current offenses in this regard are their utter failure to challenge the media orthodoxy on Social Security or who's at fault in the recent Fiscal Cliff debacle, not to mention the upcoming Debt Ceiling nonsense. They are afraid to take a stand; that is, they are so terrified of being labeled Liberal that they refuse to identify Republican bullshit even when Republicans use NPR to catapult the propaganda.

[snot]

35. What Orrex said.

[greiner3]

36. "they rush to give Mitch McConnell five minutes to air his views..."

"...followed by a briefly paraphrased summation of some lower-tier Democrat's opposing view. That's an exaggeration, of course, but not by much."

Why are you bringing Fox News into your argument?

[Agony]

33. the truth isn't "fair and balanced". quit pushing that right wing crap.

FFS

[1gobluedem]

37. Thank you.

As a public radio GM I always try to point out this very thing and that individual contributions are far more likely to benefit local stations as NPR doesn't directly solicit individual support but I'm always told that I don't know what I'm talking about.