NPR = National PROGRESSIVE Radio

[Omaha Steve]

http://pajamasmedia.com/2008/03/npr_is_national_progressive_ra.php

March 16, 2008 12:00 AM

Four short segments of conservative views were enough to flood NPR with angry phone calls and email. So much for “fairness,” writes Pam Meister.

by Pam Meister

Imagine you’re a typical NPR listener, tuning in as you sip your Starbucks Café Latte — made with skim milk and a shot of cinnamon — work the New York Times crossword puzzle, and think about how great it is that you don’t have to stop for gas on your way to work this morning because you drive a Prius. Suddenly, you’re jolted out of your comfortable morning routine by the unimaginable: a segment entitled “Conversations with Conservatives.”

Choking on your latte and misspelling “pestiferous” on your crossword, your head begins to spin as Rev. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, discusses the status of evangelical voters. But surely it’s just an anomaly. An early April Fool’s Day joke. Yeah, that must be it! And fortunately, it was only seven minutes.

But the next day, you hear Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform, talking about which fiscal policies appeal to Republican voters. And the day after that, radio talk show host and CNN personality Glenn Beck discusses core conservative values. And on the last day of February, you are treated to David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, blathering on about the challenges that Sen. John McCain faces when it comes to proving himself to the conservative base.

If there’s a reason to abolish Leap Year and February 29, then having David Keene spoil your Starbucks experience surely must be it. Who can you call? There has to be someone.

The Washington Times reports that for daring to air the views of conservatives on its morning drive show during the final four days of February, NPR fielded “more than 60 angry e-mails and phone calls … calling the programming ‘shameful’ and a ‘lovefest with radical, right-wing nuts.’ There were only a few … that praised the series as ‘refreshing’ and ‘articulate,’ among other things.”

National Public Radio is funded in part by federal tax dollars. The last time I checked, both liberals AND conservatives are required to pay federal taxes. So what’s wrong with having four seven-minute segments out of the year where conservative ideas are brought forth? You know, throw them a Milk Bone once in a while to pretend you care about them while you spend their money on things like Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion.”

FULL story at link.

[depakid]

1. Pam Miester is simple minded fool

NPR is has been controlled by Republicans for several years- and their destructive propaganda is already spread throughout damn near every media outlet in the states.

See: PBS: Republican Broadcasting Corporation

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0427-33.htm

[alarimer]

2. Yes she is painting NPR listeners with a pretty broad brush there.

Typical of Republicans, it's all "Liberal" radio unless it skews heavily to the right (like Fox)

[SpiralHawk]

3. More republicon counter-propaganda

Project your own SHADOW onto the opposition, and them damn damn damn whine whine whine damn damn damn.

[Crunchy Frog]

4. What a fucking crock. 60 emails OMG!

That kind of stuff is actually pretty typical of NPR, and part of the reason I no longer listen to it. If I want that kind of stuff, I can just tune into Rush Limbaugh.

[Lorien]

7. To be fair-there's a huge gulf between NPR and Rush

I have quite a few friends who work for NPR-all of whom are liberal. Problem is, their superiors are all Republican. There's a constant battle going on; the brass doesn't want news stories that seem "liberal" (ANYTHING that reflects poorly on their party), but they don't want to lose their liberal base-the donors who support the programming, either. Just today I heard some of the "Winter Soldier' testimony on NPR. You sure as hell won't hear ANY of that on Fox! So it's become a fairly neutral news source that avoids very controversial topics.

[Aqaba]

5. Nominally Public Radio

...as Sam Smith of the Progressive Review likes to call it.

Heck they even have one of the local broadcasters plugging McDonald's almost every morning on our NPR station (KBIA in Columbia, Missouri).

[spanone]

6. npr...it stays away from politics these days for the most part

[Marr]

8. Am I to understand that the Prairie Home Companion is left wing propaganda?

What kind of idiot is this? Is she incapable of understanding that people don't want political bias of any sort in public broadcasting? Of course, they get bias anyway-- but it's *conservative* bias.

People like this ought to read some actual left-wing media before they complain about outlets like NPR. I've yet to meet a person who complains about the "liberal NYT" who has EVER picked up a copy of Mother Jones or The Nation. Their entire range of media is 'moderate right, corporate' to 'far right, outright fascist'. It's no wonder they make these ridiculous claims.

[hootinholler]

11. She needs a big slice of

Be Bop a Re Bop Rubarb Pie!

-Hoot

[Matariki]

9. Oh very clever. What original thinking. Starbucks! Lattes! Priuses! NYT crossword puzzles! Oh my!

what a dork.

[hootinholler]

10. THen why do conservative guests outnumber centrist ones on Diane Rheem 2 to 1?

Forget having a progressive voice on NPR. I have yet to hear them, yet she always seems to get people from the AEI to come on.

-Hoot

[Elidor]

12. Ah, pajamas media

I always wondered what happened to them. Not that I actually cared. I see I was correct in my assessment of the quality of writing we could expect from them. If I was an editor, I'd fire the schmuck who brought me this.

[roody]

13. No Problem Radio

National Petroleum Radio --- It has been lame for a long time.

[MisterP]

14. Pajama Media? it's run by "Bush's Barberini Faun," in Dowd's words n/t

[Muttocracy]

15. um, Juan Williams nt