Is Liberal Bias What NPR Listeners Secretly Want?

NPR ^ | June 28, 2005 | Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

[jimfree]

I said: As a professional square dance caller I have worked for the gay square dance groups in DC and Baltimore. Next week I will call a dance for the group in San Diego.

You said: OK, but close your eyes after you call "down the center and back."

There are always landmines in the language. There is an expression that modern square dance callers use that refers to which dancer is on which side of a couple. We don't usually use the words "normal couples" with the dancers; I can get much laughter when I use it with a gay group.

[daviscupper]

I don't know for sure but the picture of that guy with his head up his arse comes to mind.

[BenLurkin]

Secretly?

[Duke Nukum]

Whaddaya Know actually originates in Madison (or it did last time I paid attention). I've been to a few live shows.

I used to listen for the Classical music NPR station but they had their three hour propaganda block every day from 3PM-6PM so I ended up buying the music I like.

Plus, about the time I stopped listening, they were playing some really sluggish, dull recording of Beethoven's Ninth and I got P.O.'d every time it started and pulled out my own CD which is a superior version.

Probably I need to get the version from Immortal Beloved if I want the best version, as the Moonlight Sonata from that film's sound track is the best I've ever heard.

But I digress.

[hadit2here]

Imagine what the world must look like peering through the eyes of the person who thinks NPR has a conservative bias.

Well, if you tilt your head 90 degrees to the left, squint your eyes real hard, while clubbing yourself on the head with a large baseball bat, you certainly could rationalize some conservative bias.

For example, you take all PBS TV content and remove all of the "news/commentary" shows- because to any liberal they obviously are unbiased and neutral, or they wouldn't be "news" shows.

Remove all children's shows, because these are liberal indocrination... er, ummm, sorry, "elementary education" shows without any bias, because they are "for the children".

Then you remove any and all of the "documentary" and "magazine" shows that are produced by/for lesbians/gays, because these are neutral documentaries that show the real world biases against such groups.

Then remove any documentaries/shows that would show any western religion, such as Christianity or Judaism- especially if they are produced by gays/lesbians - in any negative light, because everyone knows that these religions are oppressive with bloody histories, and these programs only "document" and bring to light the little publicized or little acknowledged dark side of these religions.

And of course you then must remove any "documentaries" or educational series/programs on nature, the solar system, the galaxies or the universe that preach about global warming, human pollution of the planet, solar system, etc., because everyone "knows" that this is just plain truth, raw science and documentation of human beings desecration of their own planet.

Naturally, you will remove any sex education programming- especially if it is produced by gays/lesbians- because that is just natural documentation and education of human nature.

Then remove any programming which shows the U.N., liberal Politicians, bureaucrats, socialists, communists or Euro-weenies with a positive viewpoint, because everyone knows that these programs only objectively document these stellar, selfless, honest, moral organizations, movements and personalities.

Remove anything that has been done by Ken Burns or his imitators...oops, ummm, "emulators".

Out of what you have left- pledge drives, 50's music re-unions, and painting instruction shows- you can obviously see that at least 20% of that remaining programming is extremely moderate if not conservatively biased. Heck, since when has any of the 50's music shows ever performed any music that wasn't completely mainstream, or when has one of the painting instructors ever showed how to paint in the modernist or abstract- non-mainstream- methods?

So it is really easy to delude yourself... ummmm, illustrate that PBS is really mainstream and moderate. And is truly worthy of your funding... whether you want to fund it or not. Think of the children!

They wouldn't have to have all those annoying pledge drives if the government would just take your money and give it to them in the amount they want, because they know better than you what to do with your money and what programming should be sent into your home.

They sincerely don't understand what all the hubub about this "1984" book and "Big Brother" and "Newspeak" is all about. What is there about all that that is not to like? As long as they are the vehicle and recipient of the government's largesse.

And, of course, why shouldn't they be? After all, they speak for the "public". Isn't "public" in their very name?

[baystaterebel]

The thing is that I enjoys PBS/NPR at times. I would enjoy it more if they would just admit they are currently slanted to the left and just even it out a bit. I can handle listening to views that are not my own, especially when they are supported by facts from a credible down the middle source.

The one thing that I really think is the source for NPR/PBS and the MSM continued slant left is it is run mostly by 60's activist who cant admit they are wrong. Everything they have believed in for 45 years has basically been wrong or at least seriously flawed. Thats half their problem with President Bush. They want him so much to admit mistakes so that they wont have to.

[TChad]

Dvorkin is beyond clueless, he is delusional.

All that is usually required to demonstrate NPR's liberal bias is to listen for one minute. I just did this. Terry Gross was interviewing retired Republican Senator John Danforth, who recently wrote a Republican-bashing opinion piece for the New York Times in which he stated:

"The problem is not with people or churches that are politically active. It is with a party that has gone so far in adopting a sectarian agenda that it has become the political extension of a religious movement."

Gross would NEVER have interviewed Danforth for praising Christian involvement in the Republican party. She would NEVER have interviewed any Democrat who had criticized his party for alienating Christians. Danforth was interviewed ONLY because he bashed Republicans.

Just another day at work in the NPR propaganda mill.