Earlier this week, The Free Press published a piece by Uri Berliner, a 25-year veteran of NPR, who said that the network had gone from liberal-leaning to straight-up activism, trying to damage Donald Trump’s presidency and “find anything we could to harm him.”
The first person NPR sent out to do damage control, ironically, was the same guy who wrote the piece explaining why NPR wouldn’t be covering the Hunter Biden laptop story, which was just a “distraction.” Berliner admitted they ignored the story to help the Biden campaign.
Now NPR chief executive Katherine Maher has come out with a statement addressing the “hurtful” piece.
NEW: NPR chief executive Katherine Maher addresses the criticism of the network this week
“Questioning whether our people are serving our mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning.”
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) April 12, 2024
Here’s some of the memo: pic.twitter.com/c9NKlPWNK5
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) April 12, 2024
Truth hurts. It’s no secret that NPR has a huge liberal bias. “Serving our mission” … what’s that, to elect Democrats? NPR was all over the Russian collusion hoax but wouldn’t report on Hunter Biden’s laptop because it might hurt Joe Biden’s candidacy.
“Based on little more than their identity?”
What?! There were numerous examples in the piece of how NPR has gone off the rails, refused to correct itself and more — none of which were based on the identity of those who did or did not commit these acts.
— stevemur (@stevemur) April 12, 2024
How did you get that job without the ability to read? Berliner listed several specific topics on which NPR did not operate with integrity.
— (((Charlie Martin))) (@chasrmartin) April 13, 2024
Any time someone uses the word “hurtful” outside of speaking to 5 year olds, you know they coudn’t affect real positive change short of resigning to step aside for someone who can.
— Sid (@sidgb) April 12, 2024
Recommended
Know what else is “profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning”?
Pretending you aren’t a partisan hack.
— Mike is anti-communist (@mikecarroll1974) April 12, 2024
Defunding these people and auctioning off their spectrum is the only solution.
— The Oldest Member (@PrimeBeef45) April 12, 2024
Good old National Communist Radio
— Thaxton (@EzekialOilGas) April 12, 2024
Uh…that’s not what he did. He questioned NPR’s integrity based on their consistent published perspective. Sorry if that’s upsetting.
— Rochelle Wentz (@rochellewentz) April 13, 2024
Great. “Identity” is not – and never has been – part of being a good reporter or editor. Readers and listeners don’t care one iota who you are or where you came from. They want skillful, diligent and objective reporting.
— PhotobombingCow (@PhotobombingC) April 12, 2024
Step One: Admit you have a problem.
— Maggie’s Dad (@realmaggies_dad) April 13, 2024
“We are very hurt that we were criticized for what we actually are.”
Zero introspection. As always.#DefundNPR
— Mike Breslin, Ph.D. 🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@mikebreslin815) April 12, 2024
Uri Berliner offered NPR a great opportunity to stop, take a hard look at itself, and commit to doing better.
They are failing to do so.
— Jim McGuire (@jimcmcguire) April 13, 2024
His piece was about how NPR had lost the trust of the people by going full-activist. NPR has no credibility left.
The exact thing that @NPR has stated about Christians, white males, Republicans, etc. for years while using taxpayer dollars.
— Jon Bassoff (@CoachJEB18) April 13, 2024
Speaking of white males, someone dug up a photo of NPR’s interns:
Total number of NPR interns in 2021: 50
Number of white males: 5 https://t.co/ZPVxYuMuxE pic.twitter.com/tuVaRxAs3e
— i/o (@eyeslasho) April 9, 2024
What a fraud.
— JWF (@OriginalJWF) April 12, 2024
Maher constructed the most ridiculous strawman she could and proceeded to use that to prove everything in the piece was right.
— WVU Bonanza (@WVUbonanza) April 12, 2024
Zero humility. Zero.
— pearcort (@pearcort) April 12, 2024
We’ll post it one more time for posterity:
Why haven’t you seen any stories from NPR about the NY Post’s Hunter Biden story? Read more in this week’s newsletter➡️ https://t.co/CJesPgmGvo pic.twitter.com/jAi7PnpbZf
— NPR Public Editor (@NPRpubliceditor) October 22, 2020
We know why we didn’t see any stories from NPR about the laptop. Everyone knows. It’s like she really doesn’t know that NPR has a totally liberal bias. The piece could have been the impetus for some course correction, but NPR’s chief executive doesn’t see a problem.
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