Help me! I need an education. Subject: NPR - what's your problem? [View All]

[Selwynn]

Hello all,

I have seen serveral posts recently critical of NPR - really critical. I'm trying to sort out what is mainly just cynical ranting, and what is legitimate points.

Where I'm coming from is this: I have no problem with NPR. I've listened to NPR for a very long time. The first fact to remember is that NPR is not ABCnews, or CBSnews, or CNN all news Channel, or FOX all news channel, etc. NPR is not exclusively political nor even an exclusively news network. Its primary programming is social in nature. I think it is nearly impossibly to deny than NPR tends to be on the liberal side socially. And quite frankly, I believe even their news reporting has a liberal bent. I'll never forget the time I heard Bob Edwards completely take this republican governor to ask after he denied making certain statements, twice in response to Edwards question and follow-up, then he dug up the quote and quoted it back in his face. I loved it. Bob Edwards spoke here recently, by the way. Man there is no question about his personal political feelings. He had some incredibly funny things to say about Bush.

Anyway, I digress. The point is, I would claim that NPR is probably the most left-leaning of any of the big TV/radio news outlets. Does anyone dispute this, and if so, please name the national/network TV/news outlet that is more left leaning? And I don't mean some localized pirate radio station broadcast out of Buttnowhere, Ohio. So, we don't need to uniformly agree with everything that is said by anyone, or any organization. But I admit I raise a really skeptical brown towards the people cynically ranking out NPR for how "conservative" it is?

Ok so there you have it - I'm strongly skeptical about criticism of NPR as "conservative." However, I'm willing to be educated. So, let the education begin. Could I please see some good examples of the concern about NPR, specifics please? And what kind of concern is this? Is this the concern of people who have enjoyed a very left leaning organization that now seems to be drifting to the center? Or are you implying that NPR is literally more conservative than other mainstream news outlets?

I personally believe that PBS and NPR remain the best mainstream national sources for news and information. And what's more, their social programming is top notch. I love All Things Considered, one of my favorite shows. Tavis Smile is great as well. On the weekends I get this American Life which is via PRI.

So anyway, as a defensive lover of NPR, I'm asking - what the hell is your problem with my station?? :D