For those of you who think that you are getting accurate U.S. foreign policy news stories on NPR, think again. NPR, like most other new outlets, has annointed itself a stenographer for the U.S. government. Glenn Greenwald proves this point beyond debate by dissecting a recent NPR store on Iran. It would all be laughable were the stakes not so serious. Here is an excerpt from Greenwald’s story. I highly recommend following the link to his entire story:
This morning, Temple-Raston began her report by noting — without a molecule of skepticism or challenge — that Iran is accused (by the U.S. government, of course) of trying to assassinate the Saudi ambassador on U.S. soil (a plot traced to “the top ranks of the Iranian government”); there was no mention of the fact that this alleged plot was so ludicrous that it triggered intense mockery in most circles. She then informed us that Iran is also likely responsible for three recent, separate attacks on Israeli officials. These incidents, she and her extremely homogeneous group of experts from official Washington explained, are “red flags” about Iran’s intent to commit Terrorism — red flags consistent, she says, with Iran’s history of state-sponsored Terrorism involving assassinations of opposition leaders in Europe during the 1980s and the 1996 truck bombing of an American military dormitory in Saudi Arabia (note how attacks on purely military targets are “Terrorism” when Iran does it, as are the assassinations of its own citizens on foreign soil who are working for the overthrow of its government; but if you hold your breath waiting for NPR to label as Terrorism the U.S. assassination of its own citizens on foreign soil, or American and Israeli attacks on military targets, you are likely to expire quite quickly). All of this, Temple-Raston announces, shows that Iran is “back on the offensive.”
Well, it is government-funded programming, and the employees are mostly pro-administration. So this isn’t exactly a surprise. Republicans are trying to defund NPR, they probably figure they need to be nice to the administration so Democrats don’t turn on them too.
Government funded???
Less than 6 percent of NPR’s funding comes from the government. Nearly half of their money comes from businesses and foundations.
I’ve noticed a subtle bias on NPR on topics of finance and foreign policy.
That may be so, but NPR and its supporters act apocalyptic at the idea of pulling federal funding. If they think it’s that important, they’ll tailor their news to please the government more.
Adam,
Sometimes your pro -right wing arguments are like a man paralyzed below the waist.. naught a leg to syand on.
Maybe you watvh too many James O’Keefe videos while too inebriated to see the obvious editing.
Okay, then what’s your theory for why NPR’s reporting has become inaccurate and unwilling to challenge the administration?
I agree with you here, Adam. NPR is afloat on too much corporate money. Just ask yourself why they don’t have anyone offering the viewpoints of Amy Goodman ANYWHERE on NPR. NPR is far more informative than the commercial radio chatter shows, but this is a low bar. From my own experience, NPR news is far too informed by government and government-friendly sources. They need to take the First Amendment far more seriously. It was written to constantly prod and criticize the government and to keep it in check. It was written to protect citizens from the government. But just listen to the sterilized presentations of most NPR shows. You’ll hear malaise, where we should be hearing outrage over the psychopathic spending priorities of the U.S.
Exhibit A: $2 Billion per week to blow up poor people in Afghanistan and to feed the pockets of hundreds of corrupt private contractors, all of this for TEN YEARS, while American schools are chronically understaffed. What. The. Fuck. Let’s hear some passionate reporting from the perspective of working folks rather than the reporters who simply don’t get it. http://www.salon.com/2012/03/27/what_npr_means_by_reporting/singleton/ .
Well, Amy goodman, I’d like to hear the viewpoint of people like her more outside the underground, but it’s not like she can’t be heard. Democracy Now is easy to find.
Easy for you and me, but most thoughtful people I know have never heard of her. She out to be on NPR in St. Louis, and she IS on NPR in some other cities.
Then I want Radley Balko or Glenn Reynolds on NPR too.:)
Adam,
A large part of the funding for NPR (and NPT as well ) comes from the same “charitable” foundations that function mainly as tax write-offs for corporations. The foundations tend to promote ling term corporate agenda, such as school privatization, or support for Israeli lobbying efforts.The government bias I’ve observed, occurs mainly when the official government position coincides with the political views of a major financial supporter.
In addition, though NPR is not immune to the Fox Effect</a?, it is actively resistant.