How much does NPR news coverage lean to the right ?

[steve2470]

Poll question: How much does NPR news coverage lean to the right ?

I listen to it often, so I want to get your take. Thanks in advance.

[mmonk]

1. I quit listening years ago when the Bush administration and the neoconservative

movement worked to control the press's messaging including NPR and public TV.

[Greybnk48]

8. The Bush/neo-con's did indeed politicize NPR to the right.

I quit donating and listening to their news as well, early 2000's.

[pansypoo53219]

11. definately worse when bush was in an talk of cutting public TV/radio.

and they cling to cookie roberts. but they did can WAN williams.

[hedgehog]

2. The odd fact is that while some of us on the Left perceive NPR

to be center right or right; everyone on the right perceives NPR to be on the Left!

Me - i think it varies from show to show.

[mmonk]

3. The right still thinks all media outside of Fox is left.

They never shifted to changing realities. They are winning but still are too stupid to realize it. Hence, we keep moving to the right.

[IndyPragmatist]

16. And some here think MSNBC is a right-wing network

People think some crazy things sometimes.

[patrice]

4. At least one important local show has been DUMBED DOWN.

I think there might be a difference between trying to make something more what you assume people will understand, compared to actual intentional bias. And of course much of that depends upon WHO is making the assumptions about listener comprehension skills.

I am told that callers to one of our local shows have to read the call screener's mind for the right question or they are not allowed on.

I used to be a long-time donater & volunteer; I don't do those things anymore, but I do listen some.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. It tries to go pretty much down the middle, but...

a few commentators might be leaning a little rightward. Most are not, and most of the shows I listen to tend to lean somewhat to the left, if they lean at all.

The thing is that there is no such thing as absolutely unbiased news anywhere, and if you believe in Fox, NPR is a hotbed of revolutionaries. If you think Olbermann is the ideal of reporting, NPR is rightwing trash.

[hifiguy]

6. They used to be dead-center unbiased

until Chimpy installed one of his cronies at the top somewhere around 2003-4. I don't bother much with NPR anymore, and Minnesota Public Radio is still very good.

[Faryn Balyncd]

9. They have mutated into a pseudo-"centrist" populizer of right wing memes....

...with the occasional holdover (from the pre-GWB appointee controlled era) who still practices reality based journalism, though most of those in the latter category are of advancing years).


But don't expect NPR's new role of pushing right wing memes into the "mainstream" (or its control by right wing appointees) stop the Republican Wurlitzer from constantly repeating the Republcan creedal myth of the "Lib-rul Media".

[slackmaster]

15. I think their tone changed when they started accepting and announcing corporate sponsorships

It's very hard to accept a bunch of money from someone and not have some inclination to portray that party in a favorable light.

[hunter]

7. NPR never bites the Great Corporate Lords that feed them.

I enjoy their quirky storytelling, but they'll never turn against the institutions that sign their paychecks. Two current examples of this behavior are their coverage of the natural gas and pharmaceutical industries.

NPR is extremely biased toward BIG MONEY, their spin is more sophisticated than Fox News, but it's still leans right.

The only issues NPR doesn't go all drooling Fox News about are civil rights, because BIG MONEY is neutral on that issue. BIG MONEY doesn't care what color you are or who you are sleeping with so long as you are a consumer and a good worker bee, and BIG MONEY knows NPR listeners find the divide-and-conquer homophobic and racist rhetoric of Fox News offensive.

[seabeyond]

10. sometimes i hear left. fewer times right. depending on guests. but generally left feel ONLY cause

right is so wrong. so when they have non bias, just facts it sounds left. but facts support left. not them being left. but our reality

[yellowwood]

12. Oh for Pity's Sakes!

This question is a "when did you stop beating your wife?" question. It assumes that NPR leans to the right, only "how much?" My answer is "not at all."

During the Bush years, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting took a more conservative turn, with Michael Powell in charge for a while. I think that NPR kept its integrity. Not so sure about PBS.

But I listen to NPR a lot, and I believe that they are very balanced. They seem to lean left in the opinion of conservatives, because they actually cover issues that conservatives would like to be ignored.
Their interviews are in-depth. Interesting. Wide-ranging. I am very happy with them.

Fox Broadcasting panelists don't like them. That ought to tell you something.

[amborin]

13. they drank the Kool Aid several yrs back at least....basically a neo-liberal stance

on most issues

[qb]

14. I quit listening after NPR decided they needed to be all over the Clinton BJ BS.

[FrenchieCat]

17. NPR does Right Wing Propaganda......

Like the overwhelming majority of media.

[KharmaTrain]

18. Passed This One Along To An NPR News Director...

...and longtime friend of mine. He's been at a dozen NPR stations over his 30 plus year career and wanted to get his take on this "poll". As expected he laughed. He also brought out some important points.

NPR relies on its member stations for a lot of the material for their news programs...and they rarely exert any editorial control over the content. NPR has several hundred affiliates that range all over the political spectrum, thus when you hear an All Things Considered or Morning Edition, you will hear a lot of different perspectives due to the wide array of sources the network draws upon.

He also mentions the concept of "bias"...and how people like to throw that term around when there's a story they don't like. As others upthread have mentioned what some consider "center-right" those on the right will consider "left"...it's all perspective. Also, if you're looking for a political agenda...you're always sure to find it.

[PeaceNikki]

21. On the Media had a great episode about this. Oh, and I love Wisconsin Public Radio

Actually, it spanned several weeks: http://www.onthemedia.org/2011/mar/25/does-public-radio-have-a-liberal-bias-the-finale/transcript/

[RZM]

19. Depends on the show

I don't think any of them would constitute right wing, but that means different things to different people.

Their flagship news shows ('Morning Edition' and 'All Things Considered') seem pretty dead-center to me. Diane Rehm is quite open about being liberal. Terri Gross is a liberal too. She's more subtle about expressing it, but it's pretty obvious if you listen alot. 'Talk of the Nation' seems pretty much in the center (maybe an ever so slight tinge to the left) and while I haven't heard 'On the Media' a whole lot, they sure are hostile to Fox, which might say something about how they lean.

If you added it all up, I would say they are pretty close to the center, maybe a little bit to the left.

[steve2470]

20. My bad, next time I will phrase the poll as something more neutral

Point taken.