Why is NPR/PBS liberally biased?

[Burgold]

Just thought I would throw this out there. It's come up rather violently and as a given that NPR/PBS is super duper liberal. So, the question is why and what? Specifically, what programs, reporters, or stories have you seen that just screams LIBERAL BIAS!!!

I don't really disagree that NPR/PBS has a liberal bias or more reporters who are personally liberal, but I am curious why you think so, how you hear it manifest, and what examples you have. What shows are guiltiest? What host or reporter ought to be banished for abuse of journalistic integrity?

Please be as specific as possible.

[PeterMP]

Because it is run by the government and people that work for the government always want to see even a more powerful government (even Regan and Bush II were "seduced" by governmental power) and so the people running NPR/PBS want more government power, which makes them liberal.

I know this and I essentially never listen to NPR and only watch the kids shows on PBS (though I did used to really like watching Charlie Rose, but he's to late for me now).

[jnhay]

Maybe I'm listening to the wrong shows, but I like that whenever I listen to NPR they don't seem to be overreacting to every damn thing they talk about. I'm sure the liberal bias comes up more through things they don't mention unlike other networks, but I'm not all that informed any way so I can't say.

[Destino]

What definition of bias are you using:

- The reasonable one that means they are obviously pulling for one side or the other.

- The wingnut definition "if they aren't pulling for us they are bias against us".

[Stadium-Armory]

Of course PBS has a liberal bias; they promote manners, respect, and education.

[Toe Jam]

Of course PBS has a liberal bias; they promote manners, respect, and education.

Zing!

[Bang]

I watch PBS all the time.

There really isn't a whole lot of political programming other than Charlie Rose, who deals with a lot more than politics, and I don't find to be partisan when he does, rather i think he's an excellent interviewer.

Someone could maybe point at McNeil Lehrer.. but overall PBS isn't about politics.

There's a lot of culture, American folk music dominates.. classical music, concerts and ballets and such.

There's a lot of science, is NOVA consdered liberal?

There's history and informational programming. I recently DVRd one called "You can afford college" that laid out a how-to to getting a lot of scholarship opportunities. I've got a son who's a freshman in High School, so that's especially of interest to me. Even though I've got some money stashed for him, it won't cover 4 years.

There's Ken Burns, and he's indispensable.

There's children's programming that builds on early education.. is it liberal because they show everyone living happily together on Sesame Street?

There's some British programming, (I'm a sucker for "Last of the Summer Wine")

There's the occasional classic movie...

Maybe I'm missing all of this leftist influence. I love PBS. I think it's an excellent way to spend a portion of my annual taxes.

~Bang

[Forehead]

Yeah Bang, but Sesame Street also heavily promotes Elmo, arguably it's most popular character. So there's the whole bi-gender promotion, which is pretty liberal. And yes, I may have made up the term bi-gender, but I'm convinced that Elmo is somehow both at once.

[bcl05]

I think because PBS/NPR speak to us like adults, address issues with nuance and depth, and occasionally focus on art and culture, they just don't feel conservative. They certainly don't have anything in common with Fox news. Therefore they must have a liberal bias. Its just a label they've been stuck with, who cares that it doesn't have any basis in reality.

[Major Harris]

i listen to npr a good bit.

this is just my opinion:

in actual news reporting, you won't find a more neutral, unbiased source.

in opinion pieces, they lean a bit left, but it's not blatant.

[Burgold]

What definition of bias are you using:

- The reasonable one that means they are obviously pulling for one side or the other.

- The wingnut definition "if they aren't pulling for us they are bias against us".

I don't know that I'm the one to answer this. I hear on this board and elsewhere that NPR/PBS is a liberal bastion or that NPR is the left's version of Conservative Talk Radio. I have a tough time seeing it, but then I'm amongst the trees and sometimes you can't see the forest from within the bramble.

What I'm trying to get it is "why?" We hear that it "is" all the time, but beyond simple labelism why do people think it "is"

---------- Post added February-16th-2011 at 11:25 AM ----------

i listen to npr a good bit.

this is just my opinion:

in actual news reporting, you won't find a more neutral, unbiased source.

in opinion pieces, they lean a bit left, but it's not blatant.

Yeah, your just biased because your son is an NPR star! (Did I tell you that the Star Wars piece got picked up in three different markets around the country?)

[Bang]

Yeah Bang, but Sesame Street also heavily promotes Elmo, arguably it's most popular character. So there's the whole bi-gender promotion, which is pretty liberal. And yes, I may have made up the term bi-gender, but I'm convinced that Elmo is somehow both at once.

I'm really hoping you're kidding.

Do people really think Elmo has sexuality?

Man, when i was a kid, Ernie and Bert lived together, slept in the same room together, and the thought of them being homosexual never crossed my mind.

Know why? Because I was 4. It never crossed my mind anyway.

I have no idea why some people believe that because as adults they notice things like sexuality that it means their pre-school kids do as well. They don't. They haven't got the slightest idea.

~Bang

[Forehead]

I'm really hoping you're kidding.

Do people really think Elmo has sexuality?

Does it sound like I'm serious? I just made up a word for Christ's sake.

[Major Harris]

I don't know that I'm the one to answer this. I hear on this board and elsewhere that NPR/PBS is a liberal bastion or that NPR is the left's version of Conservative Talk Radio. I have a tough time seeing it, but then I'm amongst the trees and sometimes you can't see the forest from within the bramble.

What I'm trying to get it is "why?" We hear that it "is" all the time, but beyond simple labelism why do people think it "is"

---------- Post added February-16th-2011 at 11:25 AM ----------

Yeah, your just biased because your son is an NPR star! (Did I tell you that the Star Wars piece got picked up in three different markets around the country?)

yeah, you did. thanks again for that. my son still talks about it and wonders when we're going back.

[Burgold]

yeah, you did. thanks again for that. my son still talks about it and wonders when we're going back.

You ought to take him to Geppis in Camden Yards. I think any comics fan would find that place a dream. Pretty good Star Wars exhibit too.

Edit: Bang,

You're enough of a comic book junkie to remember the Comics Code stuff and how in the fifties people actually took DC to court because they thought Batman was encouraging a "homosexual lifestyle" Crazy people will be crazy.

[Stadium-Armory]

I don't need my tax dollars supporting some blue monster's cookie habit. What he needs is tough love.

Seriously though, The PBS News Hour must be the most impartial news reporting show / site in existence.

Show me the bias: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/

Maybe its pieces like this:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/module.html?mod=0&pkg=11022011&seg=5

...that give equal time to both sides. Notice, Jim started with David Brooks

[Bang]

Does it sound like I'm serious? I just made up a word for Christ's sake.

I'm sorry.. I know you wouldn't believe it, but who knows what the wingnuts believe. I wouldn't put it past some in our society to demand Elmo be censored. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

~Bang

[Major Harris]

I don't need my tax dollars supporting some blue monster's cookie habit. What he needs is tough love.

or some vegetables.

[rictus58]

I have no idea why some people believe that because as adults they notice things like sexuality that it means their pre-school kids do as well. They don't. They haven't got the slightest idea.

~Bang

I have a 7 year old niece who lives with my wife and I.

She's never once wondered why her grandmother lives with another woman.

Or why one of her "aunts" (she's an aunt somehow, don't ask me how) does the same thing.

Kids don't care. It doesn't enter into their mind. It just "is".

[aREDSKIN]

Of course PBS has a liberal bias; they promote manners, respect, and education.

Yea, just ask Juan Williams.

I know it's NPR but I just could not resist.

[Corcaigh]

One candidate example would be the Juan Williams firing. The emotional way in which it was handled suggested a problem.

I don't think it reflects in their programming. But in general, part of media's role is to take a questioning and adversarial approach to those in power. That sometimes comes across as liberal but I have heard NPR segments going pretty hard against unions and other sacred cows on the left too.

Part of the issue may be confusion between conservatism and the political right. The 'right-leaning politically' here seem to be much, much more interested in this country versus overseas news and issues. NPR does have more international coverage than many media and that to some may seem 'liberal'. The plight of Chinese workers has been covered numerous times on NPR, but I'm not sure how many on the right care about such issues.

---------- Post added February-16th-2011 at 11:40 AM ----------

or some vegetables.

If you'd said "organic" too, you'd be no better than a damn liberal hippy.

[Burgold]

Yea, just ask Juan Williams.

.

Wow. I give you a softball right into your wheelhouse. What a swing and a miss! C'mon this is the thread you've been dying for! You are always talking about how all of them are biased and rotten. Go to town!

(Ironic to your comment, one could argue that Williams was fired because of a lack of manners, respect and poor judgement. I still think the decision was wrong and worse, was handled as badly as you can handle a problem, but still...)

[deejaydana]

First of all you need to separate NPR from PBS. In that other thread you reference I mentioned that NPR has a liberal or left slant. PBS is fine, they are abidingly neutral. Throw the axe down only on NPR, they don't deserve to be funded with tax money (and keep in mind even with the left slant I still think they do some fine work). I guess my gripe comes down to this, I'll accept the slant so long as it's not funded my MY tax dollars. I want neutrality in that instance.

[addicted]

Because who ever said that doesn't like something they heard on the show. The typical response for the average person when you hear something you don't like is to identify that with something else you don't like. The person who doesn't like Liberals who hears something on the radio they don't like would think that radio station is liberal. The average idiot always blames someone else for their problems instead of learning to accept that other people's differences doesn't make them wrong. Labeling always happens like this. The sad thing to me is that these judgmental people never seem to judge themselves.

And for the record my belief about Liberal / Conservatives is that both suck equally. We can do so much better then both of these parties and the people running the country and won't ever get "better" until we realize this.

[Forehead]

I'm sorry.. I know you wouldn't believe it, but who knows what the wingnuts believe. I wouldn't put it past some in our society to demand Elmo be censored. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

~Bang

Let me say this, and I say it knowing I'll get a ton of flack for it. I have a man-crush on Elmo. Why, you ask? Because my nine month old daughter loves him/her/whatever. And my nine month old has started "discovering her voice" recently. Anytime Elmo is on the TV or the computer, guess who quiets down and gives Daddy some peace? Yeah, Elmo rules as far as I'm concerned.

I am now bracing myself for the 21-year old version of me time-warping in to kick my ass.