Why is NPR/PBS liberally biased?

[Burgold]

If NPR uses "Slash" the next time Democrats call for Gun Registration-------Slashing Gun Owners RIGHTS.......Then I would agree with you

No, you wouldn't. Even if you did

[IHOPSkins]

No, you wouldn't. Even if you did

If I can agree with Larry on an issue.....I can agree with you

[thebluefood]

How did we get from National Public Radio to abortion rights, again?

[IHOPSkins]

How did we get from National Public Radio to abortion rights, again?

NPRs biased verbiage usage of "Anti-Abortion" and "Abortion Rights" being the two sides

I am Anti-NPR on this

[thebluefood]

NPRs biased verbiage usage of "Anti-Abortion" and "Abortion Rights" being the two sides

I am Anti-NPR on this

AH! I see. Makes sense. Yeah, I dunno about that, either. If I were the editor of that particular story, I probably would have stuck with the normal "pro-choice" and "pro-life."

I agree with some of the other posters, though, that say those two labels don't necessarily tell the whole story.

[IHOPSkins]

.......I agree with some of the other posters, though, that say those two labels don't necessarily tell the whole story.

A black groomsman of mine from the Caribbean that doesn't like to be called "African American" would agree

[thebluefood]

A black groomsman of mine from the Caribbean that doesn't like to be called "African American" would agree

Labels can be dangerous, though sometimes they are necessary. When I'm asked to describe by stance on abortion, I have to go beyond "pro-choice" or "pro-life"

Going back to NPR/PBS, I understand that it does have a slant. Hell, I don't even lean to the left, like they tend to. I still, though, find their coverage more objective and rational than any other news organization in this country. That, and the sort of programing they offer, makes me believe that they are worth saving.

[NavyDave]

Expecting a Liberal to notice liberal bias is like expecting a fish to notice that it's wet.

[IHOPSkins]

I understand that it does have a slant....... the sort of programing they offer, makes me believe that they are worth saving.

Despite the fact that someone questioned my listening habits in this thread...... CoughburgoldCough........ I listen to NPR driving home alot

One of the ways Bias can show is what gets covered......like Alan Simpson supporting Obama's budget (as he was picked to be on a bipartisan commission so maybe he has just a little conflict with his opinion?)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/02/16/133801977/alan-simpson-cut-entitlements-defense-dont-touch-help-to-poor

NPR ran with that story on the radio for two days....it just seemed to me they were PUSHING the "See reasonable Republicans" deal

But the above is hard to prove if you don't catalog Every program for months to find the slant

Was there a retired Democrat with Fiscal Credentials that was Against the budget that NPR Didn't cover?

[NavyDave]

A black groomsman of mine from the Caribbean that doesn't like to be called "African American" would agree

Well duh he is from the Caribbean, so he is a Hey Mon-American

I do not like the African-American label being placed on me either since I'm not Hakeem Olajuwon or ex Hoya Boumtje Boumtje. Most blacks in the USA other than pigmentation and ancestry have nothing in common culturally with Africa and after being "fortunate?" enough to visit several places there it is highly unlikely the majority will abandon the Western Culture they have grown accustomed to, though there are alot of gorgeous smart professional babes I hoped could immigrate here.

[IHOPSkins]

Well duh he is from the Caribbean, so he is a Hey Mon-American......

He doesn't really have an accent that I can detect....but he mumbles...so I have some difficulties understanding him sometimes

[NavyDave]

NPR and PBS actually take the time to dissect a story and take a look at it thoughtfully and rationally; even if they do tend to be biased.

If they had a conservative bias, I'm sure most of the dissenters would be doing everything they could to save it.

If they are that great then they should be able to stand on their own in the private sector without tax dollars.

[IHOPSkins]

If they are that great then they should be able to stand on their own in the private sector without tax dollars.

Funny how NATIONAL UNPUBLIC RADIO Is not really Public with their books......from their website

http://www.npr.org/about/aboutnpr/publicradiofinances.html

NPR Finances

NPR is an independent, self-supporting media organization.

Oh really?.....then how do you explain this?

Stations receive support from several sources......and in some cases state and local governments. (5.8%)

Half the national organization's dollars come from member-station dollars; half of 5.6 percent is 2.8 percent

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/taxpayers_true_public_radio_bill_v9vvYukgvOqZq4XSOSDlbJ

and

.......grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (10.1%)

CPB budget detail..

The request is submitted to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee and to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/financials/

whose $500 million budget is virtually all drawn from federal taxes.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/taxpayers_true_public_radio_bill_v9vvYukgvOqZq4XSOSDlbJ

Wait......they are Self Supporting BUT receive support from federal, state and local Government?

I guess Self Supporting doesn't mean FULLY self-supporting...

Also

While NPR does not receive any direct federal funding, it does receive a small number of competitive grants from CPB and federal agencies like the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce.

Institutional Support

Grants from institutions such as the Ford and MacArthur Foundations, and non-profits such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) have made it possible for NPR to maintain its current programming........

Makes it sound like CPB is privately funded.....also

If the % for CPB funding is HIGHER than ALL OTHER Foundations.....why list it second here?

Accuracy in the media meet N (12+%) R

[commyderm2]

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.

I love NPR and PBS. There once was a serious need for PBS as the only other childrens programming available was riddled with commercials that can pretty much be summed up with the thesis that your family is against you being able to do what you want and your only escape is to eat sugar filled junk food or throw a hissy fit until your parents buy you a cheap plastic toy that will break or get lost in a week. Now with Playhouse Disney and Nick Jr we could definitely do without PBS..

NPR is still a necessity. The people who say NPR has a liberal bias are right-wing political hacks who have no regard for intellectual honesty, and will attack at all costs anybody who disagrees with anything they and their minions say. This is an ugly breed of war profiteering neoconservatives who hate the fact that NPR is honest about what happens in these wars and tries to discredit them by attacking their credibility.

[IHOPSkins]

right-wing............... political hacks...........minions..............ugly breed..............war profiteering............neoconservatives

This post has LABEL WIN written all over it

:1stplace:

[Burgold]

This post has LABEL WIN written all over it

:1stplace:

I shouldn't laugh, but that was pretty good esp. in light of the topic's sub-theme.

I will say though, esp. in light that I asked people for specifics, that there are very few examples offered. I give you credit for that, IHOP and though we disagree about whether some of your examples are bias are actually bias, at least you're making your case.

[Chicken Fried]

Now with Playhouse Disney and Nick Jr we could definitely do without PBS..

Then what channel would play re-runs of The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross? I'm not joking either.

[IHOPSkins]

.....at least you're making your case.....

Thank You Sir

....there are very few examples offered....

Sometimes the Bias is NOT inclusive of ONE article....or ONE broadcast

Its having to Compare multiple ones...and find examples that are comparible

Like my Simpson example post 134

Its fully legit to cover his opinion....but did NPR make an effort to find an opposing viewpoint?

I don't recall a report from NPR of a Democrat supporting a Republican Issue...but I would guess there are a few Democrats (up for election in 2012) that might be opposed to Obama's budget

I don't listen to NPR 24/7....but what I do hear seems to indicate this "coverage" bias

[Thiebear]

The Juan Williams issue didn't shine a light on it?

They lost a good reporter there.

this seemed a good article: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/npr-and-the-liberal-subculture-that-worships-it/

For Burgold I especially liked the money laundering part.

---------- Post added February-20th-2011 at 03:34 PM ----------

Are you pro-life? Are you against every war? Are you against capitol punishment? Are you against euthanizing animals? Are you against pulling the plug on someone who has been in a coma for 30 years or allowing a family member to reject aggressive treatment of a dying relative? Are you pro-life in every circumstance? Or just a select few?

As Jumbo said, pro-life is a misnomer for most.

ExtremeSkins changed my stance: I was Pro-life Republican... then had to add no death penalty to not be a hypocrit.

The life support should be living will err on the side of life.

War depends on the issue: Clinton saving Bosnia against the will of the UN moves him 3 levels up.

Not helping Sudan even though France was supposed to be in charge was horrible.

Saving Kuwait not too shabby.. Killing a Monster and his two monster sons that kill for fun i have no problem with.

its hard to walk the walk.

[thebluefood]

Well duh he is from the Caribbean, so he is a Hey Mon-American

I do not like the African-American label being placed on me either since I'm not Hakeem Olajuwon or ex Hoya Boumtje Boumtje. Most blacks in the USA other than pigmentation and ancestry have nothing in common culturally with Africa and after being "fortunate?" enough to visit several places there it is highly unlikely the majority will abandon the Western Culture they have grown accustomed to, though there are alot of gorgeous smart professional babes I hoped could immigrate here.

Yeah, I don't like African-American either. My family's line is so far removed from any place in Africa, it's laughable to associate me with Africa at all. I think it's a silly title.

[mardi gras skin]

I will say though, esp. in light that I asked people for specifics, that there are very few examples offered.

This morning I listened to a piece on some historic Civil War rally in Montgomery, AL where people from all over dress up in historic clothing and re-enact speeches and such. The point of the piece was that there was no mention of slavery. When asked why the speech didn't mention slavery, the response was, "this is the speech Jefferson Davis gave here "x" years ago. He didn't mention slavery in his speech so slavery didn't come up in the reenactment." Or something like that. The question was asked and reasonably answered. But the reporter then goes on to mention that this Civil War era event in Montgomery also avoided anything about the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King and questions why the participants feel the need to avoid the issue. This line of questioning went on several times each time the answer given failed to satisfy the reporter.

There were any number of angles that could have been covered but the reporter has a singular story to tell. The event and the interviews were just a prop for the story he was interested in. He seemed disinterested in understanding why these people were there or in the reasons the participants gave for celebrating.

[IHOPSkins]

........this seemed a good article.............

From it

Shows like Talk of the Nation largely regurgitated liberal talking points at great length, but not in great depth. The most striking episode of the interview show On Point was ostensibly devoted to understanding the appeal of Glenn Beck, but consisted almost entirely of a monologue by reporter Dana Milbank, who has just published a book attacking Beck from a liberal standpoint. Neither Beck nor a single one of his supporters appeared on the show, an omission that appeared to be motivated more by journalistic laziness and a lack of intellectual curiosity than anything else.

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/npr-and-the-liberal-subculture-that-worships-it/

That doesn't seem "Fair and Balanced".....its more "Rant and Slant"....Hummmm---I seem to recall.............

The moderator of tomorrow's vice-presidential debate is writing a book to come out on the day the next president takes the oath of office that aims to "shed new light" on Democratic candidate Barack Obama and other "emerging young African American politicians" who are "forging a bold new path to political power."....."The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama,"..

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=76645

Saturday Night Live segment on it

http://vodpod.com/watch/1060841-snl-vp-debate-open-palin-biden-video-nbc-com

Hilarious segment to lighten the mood...Tina Fey

[Burgold]

Yeah, I don't like African-American either. My family's line is so far removed from any place in Africa, it's laughable to associate me with Africa at all. I think it's a silly title.

Side related to the subject. I was working on a feature about the N word and how it was used in the black culture by different people, professions, and generations. It was a really cool piece. I had a stand up comic, a member of the NAACP, and a social worker as my three spokespeople. One of the things I remember is how stressful an interview it was. Just stepping over that taboo line even though we all knew we were there to talk about it was so much harder for me then it was for them. Sometimes, being respectful wears you out. They were a great group and really cool with the topic. The baggage was all mine that day.

I think that's related to the African American thing. We look for ways to label. Whether it be pro life, Democrat, Jew, or African American and so, someone at some point thought this was a fair and neutral term. It didn't have the baggage of negro, colored, or even black, and certainly not that other word. The tough part is that sometimes in trying to be inoffensive you wind up offending.

---------- Post added February-20th-2011 at 04:02 PM ----------

There were any number of angles that could have been covered but the reporter has a singular story to tell. The event and the interviews were just a prop for the story he was interested in. He seemed disinterested in understanding why these people were there or in the reasons the participants gave for celebrating.

One of the questions I kind of hate during pre-inteview is "What will this story be about?" because while I always have a general idea why I'm there I think that the interview should inform the story. The people I am speaking to almost always know more about their subject than I do and so while I will challenge them and question them as deeply as I can I often don't fully know what the story is about until I am through the process of discovery.

---------- Post added February-20th-2011 at 04:09 PM ----------

From it

omission that appeared to be motivated more by journalistic laziness and a lack of intellectual curiosity than anything else.

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/npr-and-the-liberal-subculture-that-worships-it/

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=76645

Assuming the critique is accurate I agree with you on this one. It's not lazy. It's bad reporting. If you are going to do a story on what makes Glenn Beck tick and why people respond to him... you have to talk to those who love and hate him. You have to try to get the producer who thought that he should be put on TV or the syndication group that decided to launch him nationally. You need someone to talk about him. Even if your piece is about how civil discourse is being destroyed by political shock jocks. In fact, especially if your piece is about political shock jocks is when you need to hear the whys of his supporters.

Is it because he represents their anger? Is it because he finds that needle in the haystack that others ignore? Is it because of his passion? Is it because he's unfiltered? Is it because they think he really knows his stuff? Is it because he pisses off the left?

You can't tell the story of Glenn Beck without interviewing those who like him or those who are on his show or those who hired him. Bad journalism.

(Assuming the critique is accurate and what they said is what actually happened. Sometimes what the reviewer says is full of blarney too)

[IHOPSkins]

The controversial measure led to massive protests that started Tuesday and have gained steam each day. An estimated 68,000 people turned out Saturday. Most opposed the bill, but the day marked the first time that a significant contingent of Walker supporters showed up to counter-protest.

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/20/133912541/largest-protest-yet-still-doesnt-sway-wis-lawmakers

Maybe NPR is out protesting.......how about you do some WORK and find out WHY there is only a Significant Contingent of Counter Protestors on a WEEKEND......Hummm

Could it be that the Protestors might have the ability to NOT HAVE TO WORK when they choose?......You THINK its because the Counter Protestors have to WORK?

Union Teachers cutting class is not a big Winner with the public

NPR's laziness certainly does seem to assist the left more than it does the right

Then again maybe NPR got a bogus Sick Note like some Union Protestors.....

NPR linked FOX for that story.....Props (although one wonders why they didn't link to CNN...does Fox deligitimize the issue?)

http://topics.npr.org/article/04PNffK7ah2Zr?q=Politics

Heres another article from NPR that does a better job but still kinda slanted

On Saturday, supporters of the governor's measure showed up in large numbers for the first time. Tired of listening to a week of pro-union, anti-Walker rhetoric, they brought in some Tea Party firepower.

Teachers across the state came to Madison, shutting down many schools last week. Madison teachers meet Sunday to discuss when they will return. Anti-union forces say the teachers' job action demonstrates the need to curtail their power.

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/20/133913227/Supporters-Turn-Out-In-Wis-As-Opponents-Swell?ps=rs

""Tired of listening to a week of pro-union, anti-Walker rhetoric, they brought in some Tea Party firepower""

""THEY BROUGHT"".......Makes it sound like Astroturf

Didn't see this report mention out of state Union Support

[Burgold]

Actually, neither read that bad to me. Both give the essential information and in a reasonable way... unless you think that there were large contingents of counterprotestors previously marching that had been ignored.

I think you're back to being Plastic Man.