In Praise of NPR

[throwthebumsout]

There are a number of things for which I'm thankful this Christmas season, and one of them is National Public Radio, and the fine shows which air there. I'm thankful for the life raft of culture that NPR programming represents in a vast sea of lowbrow media. Frankly, I'm rather stunned by the recent critical post here which keeps popping to the top of the board (I would have posted there, but frankly, I didn't want to give it another kick to the top of the board -- its original poster seems to be filling that job very well.) Where else but on NPR will you find stories and programs of quality that deal with art, music that isn't "pop," and news stories which are truly analytical? Where else but on NPR would you have wonderful serial reporting pieces like the recent history they did to observe the anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education?

Go on, continue an uncompromising approach to everything that doesn't match your perfect version of the way things should be. You know what you get? You get George W. Bush in the White House, courtesy of the Green Party voters -- incapable of compromise, every one of them. Keep on moaning. If you have your way, all we'll have is Clear Channel.

[Nlighten1]

1. I wish I shared your opinion...

I, for one, am disgusted with NPR but I know several others here are too.

[DarkPhenyx]

8. And there are many...

...who are not. It's a sad state of affairs when we bitch and complain about the media and then slam the one domestic organization that is actually doing a good job simply becasue occassionally we don't like the truth.

[Nlighten1]

11. I beg to differ...

we must agree to disagree on this subject. I like the truth as much as the next person but when you continually have "experts" from the most right-wing think tanks on the planet with NO counter balance of opinion you aren't getting to the truth.

[BiggJawn]

23. Cokie Roberts is "The Truth"?

That's the biggest laugh I've had all day except for Dave Barry's column.

Hey, I'll grant you they're better than FAUX or BS-RNC, but they do NOT "walk on water". They're Media, and they have Corporate "sponsors". Remember that.

[The Zanti Regent]

26. NPR = Nothing but Propaganda for republicans

All I hear from NPR is endless praise for President Asshole.

The time has come to stop funding this GOPropaganda machine. I hope that when Clark gets elected he cuts all funding for NPR and PBS and lets them wither away!

[grasswire]

2. Listening to PHC...

...right now. What a gift it has been over the years.

[throwthebumsout]

6. Indeed -- one of the best examples

But... *gasp*....it's only about white people middle class people! Gasp!!! What a classic example of NPR class and race bias! *insert eyeroll here*

[G_j]

3. if that had critical reporting

on * before the election.....
if they had critical reporting on the lies before the war...

yes they are great on the arts that's why I still listen.

[hlthe2b]

4. I agree. While there are stories that piss the hell out of me for bias...

Compared to just about any other media source out there, NPR is in a league of its own. I know that many DUers get frustrated when blatantly RW lies are propagated without correction. This does occur on occasion. To me, though, we must pressure them with vigilance through email/letters/phone calls, rather than give up. If we chose to let NPR go without a fight, we've truly bitten off our nose to spite our face.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Ironically the best news to be heard is BBC - provided by NPR.

I've been a supporter ($$) of NPR for as long as I can remember. There's a lot to be said for them. But, they are far from the "best" when it comes to news coverage. I have my beefs with them but they'll continue to get their yearly contribution from me. If only they would dump Scott Simon.

BTW - The Greens didn't "give" the election to the dipshit-in-chief. The Democrats did by running a lousy, meandering, half-assed campaign that alienated a good portion of their base. I voted for Gore but I blame him and his DLC handlers for the loss when they moved him to the right. If you want to lay blame for shrubs "victory" at least get it right.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

7. I stopped giving to NPR last year

they are falling into line with the rest of the media outlets. Very few criticisms of the war and the Bush administration are offered. The only programs I listen to are the BBC and Car Talk. On Point and The Connection used to be good, but they have moved to the right like the rest of NPR.

[Junkdrawer]

9. Yes, and on issues of Foreign Policy they are double plus good...

hardly ever critical of our Fearless Leader. Forever emphasizing the good things happening in Iraq. And if a story critical of Big Brother makes it into the news, they always make sure to have twice as many pro-administration pundits give their spin.

I believe their ration of chocolates is assured.

[indigo32]

10. NPR Fan

checking in here. Perfection they aren't... but there are endless subjects they can and do talk about by skipping the tabloid journalism.

[buddhamama]

12. list of good shows aired on NPR

PHC
This American Life
On The Media
The World

their News shows are okay and i do think they strive for objectivity, in a vacuum. They're nothing compared to the BBC or DemocracyNow but i listen.

[buycitgo]

14. sorry, but "On the Media?"

talk about a pager tiger......they're about one step above Kurtz.

did you hear about Palast/McKinney/NYT/NPR?

most salient point here:

"Notably, the Times' and NPR's reactions illustrated the illusion of an unbiased US press. The Times imperiously ignored my findings of their manipulation of photos, quotes and outright falsities. However, NPR scheduled me to appear on the network's own national media review program -- regarding my criticism of the Times. Then, when the producers read my story on NPR's own prevarications, NPR decided that the best debate … is none at all -- "the story is too complicated and requires too much research time" NPR told me -- and I was yanked from the broadcast minutes before the recording. So God Bless America."

http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=232&row=0

granted this was quite the controversial topic, but, given the characters involved, who you going to believe?

Every time I've caught OTM, which hasn't been that often, granted, they've appeared precious, self-absorbed, and woefully uninformed.

but that's just my opinion.....I could be wrong

AFA the rest of NPR, well......hard to argue with the other points made already, from both sides, actually.

one thing to consider about their clearly rightward drift, though, is the guy who's in charge now. check him out.....USIA (meaning CIA) ties, big time

[buddhamama]

19. On The Media

is the only alternative to say, anything on Fox.

most of the listeners of NPR are not going to be reading or listening to FAIR or DemocracyNow or any other show for progressives. So yeah, for 'those' listeners it's not a bad show.


i heard Greg speaking of that incident on DemocracyNow
and for the record i believe him.

[ikojo]

13. NPR is OK but I stopped listening at the beginning

of this year. They were too gung ho for shrub's war of aggression. Even Daniel Shorr supported the war effort.

I don't have a soundcard on my computer at work so what I do is listen to archive shows after work on the Internet. I mostly listen to Democracy Now since Amy Goodman isn't afraid of having people critical of the administration on her program.

Once Ray Suarez left Talk of the Nation the quality of programming, especially on that show, declined dramactically. I guess they wanted to suck up to the Republicans to ensure their portion of the government pie.

Too bad it doesn't matter how far to the right they go because the pugs will always see them as being part of the far left media fringe, along with PBS.

[csc]

15. NPR + PBS ROCKS

NPR AND PBS ROCK
Its the only outlet that lets progressive viewpoints come ont the airwaves. this is why the forward thinking states in europe control their airwaves so taht ignorance and big business doesnt own the airwaves. in euorpe all media is controled by the state so that its owned by the people and run fair you wouldnt see a Fox News or Rush Limbaugh getting on the air in nations like that. add this to "Only in America" because only in america do corporations think they are intitled to decided how our airwaves are used.

[tinanator]

18. cite one example please

if you dont mind? (Oh wait, youre gonna say Bill Moyers, right? OK. two then.)

[spooky3]

16. Why is it necessary to make everything 0/1 or black and white?

(Regarding NPR or anything else)? I thought DUers were capable of complex thinking and acceptance of multiple points of view.

I don't see anything wrong with both praising NPR's strengths and being glad that it exists, while also pointing out perceived problems. I am hopeful that Kroc's generous bequest will give NPR the ability to raise its standards and (in my fondest dreams) influence the much worse media outlets to do the same. But that does not make NPR perfect, nor does that make it fair to criticize other DUers for not viewing it is the same terms. I love its strengths (Nina Totenberg, Kojo Nmamdi, Diane Rehm, Car Talk, Feldman, etc.) but I don't like its unbalanced reliance on the likes of Cokie Roberts, the overemphasis on trivial events or cultural trends in some parts of the world to the exclusion of others (e.g., a feature on an Israeli "Beatlemania" band) etc. On the other hand, compared to the decline of the Today Show on NBC...enough said.

[tinanator]

17. Radio Enron?

help yourself. You clearly have perception issues. No VOA for me, thanks very much.

[randr]

20. radio is art

and NPR offers the only programing that comes close. There are times that I get extremely upset with the guest commentators from right wing think tanks and the obvious spin read directly from the WH memos. However, the for the most of the ME and ATC programs I get incredible reports on health issues, the environment, science, the arts, poetry, music, women's and child issues, economic issues, farming, human interest, etc., etc. There is no other radio network that comes close!
The recent segments on Johnny Cash and John Lennon are proof enough.

[throwthebumsout]

21. Art, indeed

Just yesterday, I had one of those "sit-in-the-car-until-the-segment-is-over" episodes, which are so frequent with NPR. An absolutely beautiful segment, playing a 1959 recording of Truman Capote reading a beautiful short story of his about Christmas. I was moved to tears -- and how many times can anyone say that their Top 40 station did that?

Reading some of these whiners has made me so angry, I sat down and wrote another $100 check and sent it off to my local NPR affiliate. So there.

[BiggJawn]

24. Well hell, read me again and send 'em another $100

Fact, send 'em a GRAND, and ask for an autographed pix of Cokie while you're at it.

[FlemingsGhost]

22. To raze NPR:

The "life raft" has a huge corporate hole in it's bow.

Not one more dime...

('fess up... your beef is with the Green Party.)

[bhunt70]

25. If you ever find a news station you totally agree with...

then you aren't getting the real news. NPR is far far from fox and programs which only tackle the most liberal points of views are just as slanted as their conservative counterparts.

[bvar22]

27. Have you ever noticed that it is always.....

....the other guy who demands that you are the one who needs to compromise?