Further Proof NPR Caters to Extreme Left

Newsbusters.org ^ | 3/09/08 | Warner Todd Huston

[Mobile Vulgus]

Jennifer Harper, Washington Times reporter and friend of Newsbusters, gives us a revealing look at how far left our taxpayer funded National Public Radio network has gotten itself these days. Even when they try to go a little toward the conservative side of the debate, they get lambasted by their audience, angered that they had the temerity to air conservative views. Of course, the only reason they would get such a rude reception from their own audience is because they have garnered only a far left listenership as a result of their far left programming. After all, if they had a balanced listenership they wouldn't get deluged by angry emails when they aired conservative content.

Apparently, at the end of February, the NPR program "Morning Edition" took the unusual move of airing four consecutive days of interviews with conservative thinkers in a segment they dubbed "Conversations with Conservatives."

The roster consisted of the Rev. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform; talk-radio host Glenn Beck; and David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union.

Each of these conservatives had their own focus, religion, taxes, and the like. But, as Harper discovered, "NPR listeners were not especially pleased in the aftermath of the broadcast segments."

According to NPR ombudsman Alicia Shepard, more than 60 angry e-mails and phone calls arrived at the network, calling the programming "shameful" and a "lovefest with radical, right-wing nuts." There were only a few, she said, that praised the series as "refreshing" and "articulate," among other things.

For his part, program host Steve Inskeep admitted he made a portion of his audience mad.

"We did annoy our listeners, but if we do our job right, we function as a personal intelligence agency for them. Hopefully, they hear allies and enemies and everybody in between. We have to learn from a wide range of people," he said.

So, are we supposed to celebrate how brave NPR is for this decision to give us the "other side"?

And, who can doubt that he meant "opposition research" as opposed to learning from a "wide range of people"? After all, his audience only cares about conservative opinion as far as it alerts them to the opinion of the enemy and not because it will "help" them "learn" anything useful with which they can make a balanced decision of their own.

And here is the main point. The NPR audience would not have gotten so exercised against this scant few hours that NPR devoted to a conservative viewpoint if that audience hadn't become assured by past programming that they wouldn't be accosted by those views inimical to leftist group think.

NPR may have seemed surprised by the negative response to their foray to the right, but no one who has heard the constantly left leaning content of NPR should be. After all, when one creates an audience based on programming that is just so, one should not be surprised when programming that deviates from that past record upsets the regulars.

Imagine, if you will, that a stadium full of baseball fans were to take their seats only to find that a football game had begun? There might be a few disgruntled fans in the stands at that rate.

So, NPR shouldn’t be so surprised when their audience settles in for their daily, left-wing indoctrination programming and lo and behold an eeeevil conservative’s opinions are wafting out of the radio to assault those shocked listeners’ delicate eardrums.

No wonder they got mad!

But just remember this last thing. The taxes of ALL of America’s citizens is paying for this left-wing indoctrination, not just that tax money from those left-wing Americans who support NPR.

See more at Newsbusters.org.

[ken5050]

Enemies???" Interesting choice of words, eh?

[CarryingOn]

“Further proof” is piling on. About two days worth of programming is more than sufficient.

[eleni121]

XM Satellite???? What is that? Sounds really interesting. I need something to listen to when Rush isn’t on while I do my work...how much?

[robertpaulsen]

Just the fact that they have a special segment called "Conversations with Conservatives" should tell you everything you need to know about NPR.

What was the audience reaction to the segment, "Conversations with Liberals"? What? They never had such a thing? It's always Conversations with Liberals, you say?

[atomic conspiracy]

After all, if they had a balanced listenership they wouldn't get deluged by angry emails when they aired conservative content.

....more than 60 angry e-mails and phone calls arrived at the network,

60 angry e-mails constitute a deluge? I guess if you only have 75 listeners, it is.

[Right Cal Gal]

I got XM free with my Saturn and decided to keep the subscription - any recommendations for good right-talk shows?

[jiggyboy]

Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform; talk-radio host Glenn Beck

If they were complaining about these guys being right-wing nuts, extremists, etc., there would be mass suicides in the "blue" parts of county if NPR so much as ran a preview of a segment featuring Michael Savage or Ann Coulter.

[AnAmericanMother]

Yeah, that too!

The Clintonization of the left. Everybody who doesn't agree is an 'enemy', to be crushed and annihilated.

Such lovely people.

[USS Alaska]

npr is on in over 600 stations, but without federal funds, and subject to market forces, it would have the same number of stations and audience as err America.

[Iron Munro]

Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views.”

-- William F. Buckley, Jr..”

[anton]

NPR is the extreme left. A conservative President would have killed NPR.

[tennteacher]

NPR- the NYT of the airwaves.

[Missouri gal]

NPR = National Propaganda Radio.
I gave up on it when they called the Pope “obstructionist” for standing up for human life about a decade ago. Certainly, taxpayers deserve better for our money.

[NavyCanDo]

Like there was ever any doubt?

There are only 2-times I will tunes into MPR. For Click and Clack the Tappit Brothers (Car Talk) - and in the early part of the day they play some pretty good music. But after 3:00 PM its lefty news radio and its banned from my home.

[k omalley]

I love classical music and used to listen to NPR and sent them a contribution a couple of times a year. One evening I was driving and listening to the radio and they had a program on teaching teenagers safe oral sex. It was so disgusting I turned it off and I never sent them another dime.

[Cuttnhorse]

I love the tappit brothers...funniest program on radio and the program would do just fine if they syndicated it for non NPR distribution.

[gondramB]

>>If NPR wants to reform it’s programming they should enter the free market and ween itself from public funding.<<

So until then they shouldn’t have any conservatives on?

[AngelesCrestHighway]

BAN NPR!!

[Mr. K]

How do you like the XM? Can you pick up Rush, Hannity, Savage, and (God help me) Art Bell?

Can you pick up radio signal in hills?

Is Rush and the rest on at their usual times?

I drive 2 hours to work and back and I barely get any reception for most of that.

[adorno]

NPR Caters to Extreme Left

We've known that forever.

And so did the liberal audience that listens to NPR. That audience would like to shutdown any viewpoints that are not in line with their views.

So, why not 2 NPRs?

NLPR for Liberals.

and NCPR for Conservatives.

It's would be the fair and balanced thing to do. And the public's money would be spent to present all views since it's all the public that's supporting that station, not just liberals.