If NPR is so right wing, instead of just turning them off,

why don’t we let them know how we feel?

Email or write them when they show obvious right-wing bias. Tell them what you heard, when you heard it, and why it pissed you off.

My local ETV station and radio station still have a lot of stuff I like. Nature programs, history programs, Prairie Home Companion.

Trouble is the Republicans have starved the beast into prostitution. :cry:

Until they stop being just another mouthpiece for the Republican noise machine.

assistance to the right wing. So, I think 2/7 th's of what I used to donate is proper.

I fear that if they could speak up they would say that the only way they could survive was to cave.

We have the right wing, led by Dan Burton - Jesse Helms - Strom Thurmond, to thank. They threatened to take it down and really yelled loud and long. There was hate in their words and on their faces - kinda preacher like. By stealth, they won on NPR. It was only a piece in the plan to take us over.

We think and were taught that the government is us.
They think and taught themselves that it is them.

27-37% of the people of this country own us, rule us, blast us - because we don't know what is going on yet and operate under a different belief system. Wake up. Stay awake. Wake others. (Duers excepted).

This American Life, Speaking of Faith, and all the other good weekend shows.

It's important to distinguish the local affiliate stations
from the national network.

http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/

Now CarTalk and Wait, Wait, those actually
*ARE* NPR programs ;) .

Tesha

...the proportion of their broadcast day that is not news, less BBC.

And I tell them -- it goes in by mail, not by phone.

do you guys live in bizarro land or what? the NPR is a fucking treasure.

If anything they were MOR before the right wing started working on them. Now they have shills on from the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation constantly without rebuttal from REAL progressives. They've turned into the Hannity and Colmes of public radio.

the NPR is serious news. After a while, some people get sick and tired of spin even if it's spin that they agree with. The NPR is serious and liberal. It's not flakey shit like Air America.

You're calling Faith Middleton and Ira Glass the equivalent of Hannity and Colmes? Do that again and you're going on my ignore list.

NPR has become subtle, government propaganda.

It's kind of like watching your grandmother turn to the bottle after a long, productive life.

Just sad.

jesus, this thread is a bucket full of crazy.

on some non-financial domestic issues, Joe is quite liberal....

this thread should be deleted. It's damn dumb.

:eyes:

:eyes:

In fact, he's probably on the blacklist as a known
commie.

Tesha

What a *tool*! Although he did laugh outright at Tom Delay during an interview when Delay, making much of his "giving up alcohol", also admitted to drinking wine.

He's still a tool.

I'm having a hard time following this. I listen to several hours of NPR during the week. Right-wing? I must miss that programming. I think the right wing has it right when they call NPR liberal. Its liberal because it spreads the truth and gives the microphone to all sides.

ALL THEY DID was tout the Bush Administration line. There was not a single voice of reason or sanity to be heard.

I used to have a "morning NPR index" to see what kind of day it was going to be. I'd have my clock radio tuned to NPR, and I'd wait to see how long before their BS pissed me off so badly, I had to get out of bed and turn the radio off. It was usually ten to fifteen minutes.

BTW, the head of NPR used to be the head of Voice of America and Radio Marti. He was chosen for this job for a reason, and he's doing a great job for his corporate handlers.

I no longer feel the need to listen to NPR just because
"it's good for me", kind of like a drive-time dose of
Cod Liver Oil. These days, that particular fish oil
comes laced with too many poisons toactually be "good
for me".

Tesha

> The NPR is just about the most left wing thing about America
>
> do you guys live in bizarro land or what? the NPR is a fucking treasure.

I can only conclude either of two things from your statement. Either:

1. You remember what NPR used tobe like about fifteen
years ago, and you really haven't listened closely to
it lately, or...

2. You have no recollection of just how good NPR used
to really be, so you have no perception of hw far they've
fallen in the last fifteen years or so.

Tesha

it's a fucking treasure.

You have no idea just how good they used to be,
so you don't understand why we're all so saddened
by their complete and total capitulation to the
Reich.

Tesha

It's kind of like watching your grandmother turn to the bottle after a long, productive life.

Just sad.

Is this like some episode of Star Trek where I've fallen into some parallel universe where Garrison Keillor is wearing a goatee and Guy Noir runs a death squad?

> Total capitulation to the reich? what planet do you live on?

I live on the planet that includes:

o Cokie Roberts (now of ABC), explaining why Democrats fucked up again.
o Juan Williams (now of Fox), explaining " " " "

o Bob Edwards, who was fired by NPR for acting as a journalist
o Steve Inskeep, who was promoted by NPR for not

o Two (or is it three) different NPR reporters reporting about
the evil Palestinians from safely inside the borders of Israel.

I recognize that NPR still has assets, but they have far fewer
than they used to.

Tesha

everything that is news on NPR - the right wing stuff gets shoved down our throats now - carefully and with subtlety. Mostly the Mon through Fri news and some stories.

auaugugugghhhhhhhhh no no no no auggggghhghghghhhhhh

and the early days were heady compared to the corporate crap we get now.

all things do change, but NPR is still the best place for serious followup and in-depth coverage.

Some of us are not looking for a "liberal" press, just an informative one, and NPR is more informative than anything else on the radio around here.

to real news. But they pick and choose their stories carefully anymore. It is sad that our choices for news are between really,really bad - bad - adequate - and somewhat better than the others.
The tragedy of NPR is that it was once great and could again be great but due to many circumstances - some external, some internal - have chosen to be "safe".

at best with a lean to the safety of right wing. They started their lean right during the '90s as Repugs took over the congress. But the day that Bob Edwards was told he would retire was the day they flopped hard to the right.
To me the ultimate day was the 'debate' between a rep from the Heritage Foundation and the Manhattan Institute on the future of Social Security.
And compared to Bob Edwards, Steve Innskeep sounds like PeeWee Herman. heh- heh.

Sure, maybe they aren't what they used to be, but calling them right wing just seems like hyperbole.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=1633296

When we hear this kind of thing on NPR, let's call them on it.

And I support that, but calling them 'right wing' is extreme enough to be dismissed.

But there are many who agree with you here at DU.

National Left Wing Radio. Give them a break, I agree with the poster above, NPR is a treasure.

The right wing threatened to stop funding them and won.

The right wing message is there all the time now when there is an opportunity to support the right wing - mostly Monday through Friday.

Because it is NPR, as in N PUBLIC R, I can't bear to hear that crap coming from them - so I don't listen.

I USED TO praise them for their neutrality. No more.

The right wing won when they went on their rage against them. Just part of their plan to take the airwaves away from us.

The proof - right wing Congresspeople no longer rant against them. Most likely, there is proof in the ledgers also.

like the BBC, it's one of the few mainstream (and I say that semi-jokingly) outlets where I feel there is broad coverage of several viewpoints which just shows that the American public has broad views.

While I enjoy Leftwing radio - what little there is - for speaking out about things which need to be spoken about, I highly appreciate NPR for its many outlets in news and music. I don't want us to become more like the right wing, who salivates and rages over anything not on message. If I wanted to be programmed, I'd listen to Rush or watch FOX.

The frothing-at-the-mouth set here at DU want the NPR folks to scream "LIAR" every time anyone utters anything that isn't 100% Leftwingnut approved.

News doesn't work that way.

which is why I DON'T want NPR to join the pack.

If I want leftwing barking and snipping (and sometimes I do), I watch Olbermann. If I want news, I listen to NPR.

and STAY NEUTRAL. They are still a treasure for the programs that are not news and opinion about the news.

I loved them then, I love NPR now.

impeachment, I thought their handling was nearly flawless in its neutrality. I use to point this out to everyone I talked to. Then, the right went after them in parallel with CNN, ABC, and CBS.

That is, they care less about the merits of the facts then how ideologically kosher the stories are.

I'm sick and tired of all this ideological bullshit. It's like the periodic invasions by like ummm the Free Mumia crowd. It's really annoying.

Diane Rehm?
Fresh Air?
Day to Day?
All things Considered?

Maybe its Car Talk? They are always pushing red, white and blue American Cars?

Wait, wait don't tell me?
What do you know?

I'm not disputing what you might think, but I listen quite often and would appreciate directing me to the right wing content I'm obviously missing.

Neil Cohen and you will learn what we're talking about.

When it happened, I felt a loss that hurt.

Take certain programs out of the comparison. It's the news and anything domestic and a lot of international and you will hear support for this White House and their agenda. The guy that runs that part of it admitted it when expressing their new mission - think it was on C-Span.

One of their best FORMER newsmen left - or was pushed out when the transition happened.

Did you ever see Dan Burton, Jess Helms, Strom Thrumond go on a tirade against NPR - they won - none of them threaten to defund them now.

HE'S FUCKING DEAD.

It's pretty much the only "mainstream" national news source that doesn't have a right-wing bias. NPR not giving credence to one's pet conspiracy theories doesn't make them suck ups to the right. :eyes:

NPR not giving credence to one's pet conspiracy theories doesn't make them suck ups to the right. :eyes:

but you might be amazed at how many people view it that way. :hi:

Fortunately there's always the Skeptics DU group for getting away from the kooky madness.

needs to cough up some facts, not the one calmly pointing out that said claims are absolutely crazy.

"Delusional" is also an ad-hominem attack, as was "amazingly stupid".

Tesha

The claim that NPR is right wing IS an amazingly stupid claim, and unless you have very poor reading skills, that does not equate at all to you being amazingly stupid. Only your claim is amazingly stupid.

your claim is utterly without any conceivable merit. It's a crappy claim.

Until then, I'm turning *YOU* off.

<click>

Tesha

Ad hominem would go like "Anyone who believes NPR is rightwing is a mouthbreathing turtle herder." Declaring that the "rightwing NPR" concept is stupid is simply my opinion.

And, yes, I've argued this multiple times. And, I've put my money where my mouth is -- I've increased my donations to NPR over the years strictly because of people like you.

NPR is the best on radio. Period. You don't like NPR? Turn them off.

Go on over to FAIR and read some of their critiques of NPR. It increasingly echoes the MSM noise machine only in a sonorous, measured tone.

Besides, my impression these days is that they are spending vastly more time on fluff - commentary so banal as to mind-numbing (yesterday some woman was going on about flossing her teeth), the utterly meaningless "sound clips," etc. "Fresh Air", "Prairie Home Companion" ect. are not news.

FAIR does a very good job of evaluating medica Bias. And then have done extensive studies on NPR based on who is on the various new shows and what perspectives and points of view are considered.

This critique is not based on abiding by liberal talking points, but rather on giving a factual and balanced perspective of various issues.

It is the fact that when they report on environmental concerns they tend to go with administration people or industry hacks. Often they use these people 3-4 times as often as they talk to actual environmental scientists or activists combined.

I am amazed that Terri Gross has let her show be turned into such a fluff show.

If something isn't far left 24 hours per day it's right wing.

Nothing on NPR is far left anymore. No even
Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

Much of it is, however, far right.

Tesha

I turn it off.

I agree that the Republicans have indeed starved it, and PBS, into submission?

are basically "we don't care. We need to make money now. Be gone."
They now carry about as much "supporter messages" as the commercial stations do commercials. Our local station is now part of a statewide network (no longer local) and is advertising for a 'supporter liason' that is someone to sell commercial time.
So as the government cut off the money and the corporations moved in those interested in saving their pretty good jobs knew what to do.

And now a word from our sponsor, err, endorser,
Archer Daniels Midland, "supermarket to the world".

And GE, "we bring good things to life".

By comparison, the local endorsements don't bother
me nearly as much. It's at least a safer bet that
Landry and Arcari Oriental Rugs don't have as much
influence on programming as ADM, although they
doubtless have much more influence than I ever
did as a member, since nobody ever even bothered
answering my letters. On the other hand, my local
affiliate sure does seem to have a lot of commercial
sponsorship, err, underwriting:

1-800-MATTRESS
A Street Frames
Alexander Aronson Finning & Co.
Ambit Press
Anderson-McQuaid Co, Inc.
Angie's List
Arclinea
Aurora Periodontal
AVFX
Babson College MBA Program
Bamboo Fencer
Bank of America
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Bin 26 Enoteca
Birch Marine
Bistro 5
BLM Wine/Brookline Liquor Mart
Blue Cross Blue Shield
BMW
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis
Boston Pedorthic
Boston Private Bank & Trust
Boston University Executive MBA Program
Brigham & Women's Hospital Cardiovascular Center
Cambridge Trust Company
Catchlight Painting, Inc.
Chelsea Clock
Children's Hospital
Chobee Hoy Associates
CircleLending
Cityside Subaru
Clarke Distribution
Comcast
Constant Contact
Corey McPherson Nash
CW Channel 56
Dalzell Volvo
Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital Boston
Davis, Malm, D'Agostine
Didriks
Direct Tire and Auto Service
Dover Rug
Eastern Bank
EF Cultural Travel dba Go Ahead Tours
Empire Loan
F.H. Perry Builder
Feinmann, Inc.
Firstgiving
Flora Restaurant
Forbes Lofts
Fox Relocation Management
Fresh Hair
Gatehouse Media New England
Gentle Giant Moving
Genzyme
Goldsmiths 3
Good Food Cafe
Graham Contracting
Harvard Bookstore
Hinckley Allen & Snyder
Homebrew Emporium
Hub Plumbing
InnuWindow
International Bicycle
International Fund for Animal Welfare
J Miles
JFK Library and Museum
Kid to Kid
Lahey Clinic
Landry and Arcari Oriental Rugs
Landry's Bicycles
Langham Hotel
Lasell College
Legal Sea Foods
Lesley University
Lexus
Liberty Mutual
Ligne Roset at Adesso
Live Nation
Loomis, Sayles & Co. LP
Maguire Associates
Marc Truant & Associates
Margulies & Associates
Mark Christofi Interior Designs
Mathworks
MEFA
Mercury Computer Systems
Mississippi's & Blue Water Catering
MSPCA
Murtha Cullina
NE Baptist Hospital
Neena's Lighting
New England Aquarium
New England School of Law
New England Toyota Dealers
Nixon Peabody LLP
North Hill
North Shore Medical Center/Partners Healthcare
North Shore Music Theatre
Northeastern University High Tech MBA
Oak Grove Village
OneSimCard.com/Long Distance Post
Peabody Essex Museum
Perini-Hegarty Associates, Inc.
Plymouth Rock Assurance Corp.
Porter Square Books
Prince, Lobel, Glovsky & Tye LLP
Priveley LLC
Random House
Reside, Inc.
Rialto Restaurant
Robert Half International
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP
RTI International
S&H Construction
Sage Builders LLP
Sea Change Systems
Sentri
Sherin and Lodgen LLP
SitterCity
Skinner, Inc.
Stonehill College
Suffolk Downs
Surfaceworks
Tech Superpowers
Ten Thousand Villages
The Addison Gallery of American Art
The Arlington Center
The Boston Globe
The Construction Site
The Handel and Haydn Society
The Harvard Extension School
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
The Lyric Stage Company of Boston
The Museum of Science
The Music Emporium
The Pinehills
The Post Club
The Trustees of Reservations
The UPS Store
Thoughtforms Corp
Trader Joe's
Tweeter
UHY Advisors
UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management
United South End Artists
United Technologies
Verizon
Vermont Dept of Tourism & Marketing
William Gallagher Associates
William Henry Furniture
Worcester Cultural Coalitiion
Yamaha Music School
Zeff Photo Supply
ZoomInfo

i`ve always thought they were fair in the coverage they present. after all in a free and open society all sides must be heard whether we agree or not with their positions. it`s interesting that some do not understand that many years ago civil discourse used to be the norm..

i do know one thing---diane rehm suffers no fools

Here's one small data point you can collect yourself:

Whenever they go to a "think tank" commentator for
background on a story they've just presented, pay
attention to who they go to. Pay attention to who they
go to for a rebuttal opinion (if they bother going to
anyone).

Keep track of how often they use obvious right-wing or
Libertarian think tanks (like the American Enterprise
Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the CATO Institute,
or the Hoover Institute) versus how often they use a
basically middle-of-the-road group (like the Brookings
Institute) versus how often they use a truly left-wing
organization (of which I can't remember even one
appearing on NPR in the last many years).

For extra credit, when they don't give *ANY AFFILIATION*
for the "expert" they just presented, Google the expert
and see what organizations they now represent or have
represented in the recent past.

You can do the same exercise for political people. For
extra credit there, keep track of the order, amount of
airtime, and whether they actually provide an audio
quote or just tell you what the politico "said".

Tesha

http://www.citizensforethics.org/execcorruption/



But, wait. It gets better.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/30/washington/30broadcast.html?ei=5090&en=194dd8e78d3d1467&ex=1314590400&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1187881905-CziiB4rf1LvUa9oKche/jg



From Media Matters:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200505240001



Yesterday, NPR reported that chocolate rations are going up. Isn't that great?

Thanks for that *VERY TIMELY* reminder.

> Yesterday, NPR reported that chocolate rations are going up. Isn't that great?

What, again? Didn't Cokie Roberts tell us that our
glorious leader raised them several times just last
year over strong Democrat (sic) objections?

Tesha