Posted on 04/04/2026 7:52:55 PM PDT by grundle
According to the political ideology that I subscribe to (libertarian), I’m supposed to be in favor of ending government funding of NPR. And from a theoretical point of view, I agree with that position.
But for me, the real world always supersedes any theory. NPR, along with its government funding, is a long standing tradition in this country, just like the national parks, the national museums, and the Post Office. So even though it goes against libertarian theory, I support a continuation of all of those things.
I like to call myself a “bad” libertarian because I am always happy and willing to disagree with libertarian theory whenever there is real world evidence against it.
Anyway, a lot of people who subscribe to libertarian (and conservative) ideology want to end government funding of NPR.
But I have a much better idea.
We should continue with government funding of NPR, but we should also ask them to please explain why their editorial board consists of 87 registered Democrats and 0 registered Republicans, and why they suspended senior editor Uri Berliner after he mentioned that information in an essay that was published by The Free Press.
On April 9, 2024, the Free Press published this opinion column by NPR senior editor Uri Berliner:
Original: https://www.thefp.com/p/npr-editor-how-npr-lost-americas-trust
In that opinion column, Berliner wrote the following:
I looked at voter registration for our newsroom. In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans. None.
Seven days later, on April 16, 2024, NPR published the following:
Original: https://www.npr.org/2024/04/16/1244962042/npr-editor-uri-berliner-suspended-essay
NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism
NPR has formally punished Uri Berliner, the senior editor who publicly argued a week ago that the network had “lost America’s trust” by approaching news stories with a rigidly progressive mindset.
Berliner’s five-day suspension without pay, which began last Friday, has not been previously reported.
Yet the public radio network is grappling in other ways with the fallout from Berliner’s essay for the online news site The Free Press. It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network’s coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.
Instead of defunding NPR, we should ask them to please explain why their editorial board consists of 87 registered Democrats and 0 registered Republicans, and why they suspended senior editor Uri Berliner after he mentioned that information in an essay that was published by The Free Press.
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Uh, defund them.
They are of no furthur[sic] use.
That would be like asking Alejandro Mayorkas if the border is secure.
“ NPR, along with its government funding, is a long standing tradition in this country, just like the national parks, the national museums, and the Post Office. So even though it goes against libertarian theory, I support a continuation of all of those things.”
**********************************************
Jeez, Dan… you Losertarian fool, cancer is also a longstanding presence in the country but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make it disappear.
Agreed.
Why is Alejandro Mayorkas not Gitmo’d?
Pam?
Also ask why the hosts have to affect-ate their voices to this artificial...cadence?
Can’t we do both?
Makes them sound more “erudite,” or so they think.
Why ask NPR about anything?
If you find a piece of garbage on your front lawn, you don’t spend all day analyzing it. You pick it up and throw it in the trash.
Case closed.
Uh oh. The Schwedy balls skit is gonna get mentioned. Annnnd now.
>> NPR, along with its government funding, is a long standing tradition in this country, just like the national parks, the national museums, and the Post Office.
NO. A Government-funded channel for broadcasting “news”, whether long-standing or newborn, is in no way similar to parks, museums, or the Post Office.
Defund it. FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. Now. Period, end of story.
>> Pam?
PAM’S NOT HERE!!!
(with apologies to Cheech & Chong)
Is that right? Wow, dirty MFr’s.
87 “BOARD MEMBERS” SEEMS A BIT MUCH
Graft/Grift is GREAT!
No. Just defund them.
I always thought NPR
stood for “National Pinko Radio”.
Pinko definition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinko
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