Why is it that every morning on NPR I hear feature stories about REPUBLICANS!

[geckosfeet]

How they are trying to redefine themselves. How the republics were so united in standing up to the eco stimulus. How we are all supposed to look to Bobby Jindal as the next rising star. Where was this type of coverage when the democrats were wandering in the desert?

Have they not heard that the democrats are in the majority? The democrats will be influential in planning the future of the country for the next 8 years - why don't we hear more from democratic committee members and chairs? Or is that something that they would rather keep behind the curtain? What happened to Iraq? What happened to Afghanistan? How is the Obama cabinet shaping up?

NPR is NOT keeping us informed about the news that will impact us short, medium and long term. They seem to be a tool helping the RW stay in the fore by actively promoting the RW agenda. If I want to hear about the RW agenda I will tune in rUSh or turn on FAUX. The last thing we need is another media outlet masquerading as a source of news and information while spewing RW propaganda.

The usual NPR apologists will come out of the woodwork on this one. But the fact is NPR has become a toned down, somewhat politically correct version of FAUX, hannity, O'lier and rUSh. It is watered down pablum compared to what is used to be.

Yes - there are some PBS stations that still have decent programming and don't feature the NPR RW talking points. But my point is that NPR is slipping to the right. I want to hear features about democratic leaders and their initiatives in government - not just the republics. And I want to hear it consistently - not just spots during fund drives.

[ixion]

1. NPR used to be the best

now they're just another hack. Watching their decline over the years has been disheartening.

[Atman]

2. Bush replaced their BOD with Republicans

NPR is now a total joke. The right-wingers still think it's "liberal," liberals hate it because it's totally gone GOP. Just as they did with the media and government itself, BushCo's intent was to make NPR so un-credible that they were no longer a force to be reckoned with.

.

[tavalon]

3. They've been so coopted and yet, we continue to think of them as

diversified and accurate. We haven't moved forward to where they are actually at. I don't contribute anymore.

[zbdent]

4. 2009 ... Republicans are "redefining themselves" ...

2002/2003 ... "What can Democrats do to survive?" / "Is this the end of the Democrat party?"

yup ... even NPR is the "liberal media" ... :sarcasm:

[izquierdista]

5. They were taken to the woodshed

About the time Bob Edwards left. They were told unless they became National Publican Radio, that there would be hell to pay. It's all part of the overall Repub scheme to take the engine out of of vehicles that the public finds useful. They have done the same thing to the Peace Corps; what started out as Kennedy's goodwill ambassador program has been turned into "send the hippies to Timbuktu and have them teach the savages English".

The insidiousness of Repub operatives in making sure "government is the problem", as Ronald Reagan promised to do, knows no bounds.

[jpljr77]

6. Good grief. It's one story. And fwiw, NPR did highlight Obama as he was rising.

I also listened to NPR this morning and heard the story on Jindal. Interesting story, I felt.

I also heard:

- Stimulus giving money for high-speed rail in Eastern corridor, and how great it could be.
- Iraqi and US officials intentionally under-counting civilian deaths in the war.
- A preview of President Obama's "not a State of the Union" State of the Union speech tonight.

[OwnedByFerrets]

7. Its not just one story. I listen every morning and to MY ears

there is a distinct repug list to the right.

[jpljr77]

11. I listen every morning and every afternoon, and I disagree.

Would you prefer for them to completely ignore Republicans; pretend they don't exist?

And I very much disagree on the tilt to the right. If anything, NPR coverage is decidedly left on social matters. On economics, they are certainly more right, but it falls in the middle, with maybe a slight tilt to the right.

[geckosfeet]

21. To some degree - yes - I would.

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. NPR is slowly becoming Now Pimping Republicans

[madrchsod]

9. i gave up on npr during the day...

now that i can get the real liberal view from 820am chicago and it`s fm stations. i listen to my local npr for state news and their programming. bbc overnight is a must listen to for those who can`t sleep ...

there`s a lot of work to do to get this country at least back to the center where both views are discussed on their merits

[G_j]

10. more dangerous than FOX in a awy..

in that so many people THINK NPR is liberal

[Ilsa]

12. When I listen I am reminded of how the GOP has been put out to pasture.

I think alot of the coverage is about their failures. Even if they are trying to make GOP news sound slick, it is still the same tired ideas that haven't worked.

[Locrian]

13. I agree

They have changed over the years, under the guise of offering "equal points of view" to the point of not presenting the truth. Now, SOMETIMES one of the hosts actually calls some of these idiots on their points. But only if it is WAAAY off base. And they are still overwhelmingly loading them with the R guests out of proportion to their power. The people elected Dems for a reason. So why are there more Repubs on?

But the main issue I have with NPR is their RELENTLESS free market leg humping. They are still heavy on the stockmarket populism and how we need to get on our knees and service wallstreet. That and their endless feel good business stories that make me want to puke, always read in that breathless voice of wonderment and awe.

[Warpy]

14. I stopped listening to NPR 4 years ago

I had my clock radio tuned to it. One morning, they awakened me with a barrage of right wingers trying to tub thump for Stupid's "kill Social Security" plan, one after another, ending up with that greasy SOB Mehlman, not an opposing voice around. It was not a nice way to wake up.

I tuned to a commercial classical station. They went out of business.

Now I just use the damned alarm. It's nicer than waking up to right wing bleating heads yammering in a vacuum without anyone to counter their bullshit.

NPR has gone down the tubes. They're useless.

[elocs]

15. My thought is that we usually find what we are looking for, hear what we are listening to hear.

Democrats can be just like Republicans in seeking out that which pisses them off or annoys them, believing that conspiracies lurk everywhere. My guess is that for many any NPR stories about Republicans get trumpets, flames, and red flags while those about Democrats breeze by.

[misanthrope]

18. Bingo! Subjectivity trumps all...

...NPR isn't Air America and doesn't want to be.

And equating it with the tabloid style of commercial news is just preposterous. What distinguishes NPR is their journalistic approach, not merely their content.

[QC]

16. NPR = Nice Polite Republicans. n/t

[lfairban]

17. Link sent to PBS

I sent a link to this thread to PBS Ombudsman. You might wish to look at this page. Current comments are about "Meltdown".

http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/

[misanthrope]

20. NPR and PBS are not the same entity**nm

**

[DKRC]

19. Stopped listening to them years ago because of RW creep

Saturdays are the only exception ~ we tune in to Car Talk & Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.