The plight of public radio

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/20/11 | William J. Drummond

[SmithL]

NPR remains perhaps the strongest, most trusted brand in the news business. It is the envy of its competition. According to the Pew Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, NPR's listening audience increased 3 percent in 2010, to 27.2 million members weekly, up 58 percent overall since 2000.

Meanwhile, other members of the fraternity of heirloom media continued to lose ground as audiences drifted toward sexy, gadget-oriented insurgent media. According to Pew, television networks slipped 3.4 percent; newspapers 5 percent; commercial radio 6 percent; and magazines almost 9 percent.

How come NPR is headed to the gallows when its news product has been so widely acclaimed? The lapses from brilliance of Vivian Schiller, the ousted CEO, were many, but the seeds of NPR's present undoing were planted long before Schiller took over the helm two years ago.

[SmithL]

strongest, most trusted brand in the news business

Legends in their own minds, it would seem.

[GeronL]

The Plight??

The hazards of far left government subsidized radio. lol.

The answer is not taking any government funds.

[rahbert]

orchestra of small violins in 3..2..1

[headstamp 2]

So then why can’t it survive on its own if it is so fantastic?

[mlocher]

NPR remains perhaps the strongest, most trusted brand in the news business. It is the envy of its competition. According to the Pew Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, NPR's listening audience increased 3 percent in 2010, to 27.2 million members weekly, up 58 percent overall since 2000.

I really do not understand what all the fuss is about. An organization like this should compete extremely well without government funding. Heck, they will probably drive all other radio stations and networks out of business.

[FlingWingFlyer]

What a load.

[AlaskaErik]

This is satire, right?!

[ABQHispConservative]

Doesn’t Rush get about the same number of listeners? He seems to be doing alright.

[NoLibZone]

He lied in the first sentence.

"NPR remains perhaps the strongest, most trusted brand in the news business."

[freedumb2003]

>>I really do not understand what all the fuss is about. An organization like this should compete extremely well without government funding. Heck, they will probably drive all other radio stations and networks out of business. <<

Yep — it must be fantastic! Advertisers will line up to broadcast — nay SYNDICATE — such wonderful content.

Sounds like NPR is ready for the big times and doesn’t need our unearned support!

[SmithL]

William J. Drummond, former Los Angeles Times correspondent, was the first editor of NPR's Morning Edition. He teaches radio at UC Berkeley.

Unintended satire, from Beserkeley, of course.

[Zakeet]

NPR remains perhaps the strongest, most trusted brand in the news business ...

... which, obviously, isn't saying very much!

[lurk]

They lost me on the first sentence. Only a great fool would write such drivel right out of the box.

[Fiddlstix]

[yup2394871293]

They do circle the wagons, don’t they? The author is another ex-NPR.

[CarryaBigStick]

Sounds like from the description NPR should be able to make it fine on their own. Thanks for making the case for defunding NPR, SFGate.

[Rembrandt]

“NPR remains perhaps the strongest, most trusted brand in the news business.”

Is Kalifornia putting crack in the water supply?

[SuziQ]

If NPR is so well respected, there is no reason it shouldn’t be able to exist without government funding.

[FreeKeys]

It isn't just a funding or legal issue. It's a MORAL issue and this writer obviously subscribes to an extreeeemely un-American form of coercive altruism.

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." – Thomas Jefferson, 1779.

Besides, not only is NPR NOT the "most trusted brand in the news business" its non-believers are not simply indifferent to it; WE ARE VEHEMENTLY, PASSIONATELY, ANGRILY OPPOSED TO IT!

So there.

[Steely Tom]

Here's this guy's bio. It's hard to see how anyone could possibly accuse him of being anything but objective in his evaluation of NPR:

Drummond was appointed a White House Fellow in 1976 by Gerald R. Ford, worked briefly for Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and eventually became associate press secretary to President Jimmy Carter.

In 1977 he joined NPR and became the founding editor of “Morning Edition.”

Drummond has been honored with a National Press Club Foundation Award, the Sidney Hillman Foundation Award for Journalism Excellence, and the Award for Outstanding Coverage of the Black Condition from the National Association of Black Journalists.

His research interest lies in incorporating stress-reduction techniques into journalism education.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.