Earful of Bias from NPR?

Creators Syndicate ^ | Tuesday November 5, 2002 | Mona Charen

[clintonh8r]

Newt should have killed NPR when he had the chance.

[RichardEdward]

think the current leadership with set their sights on them???

[WorkingClassFilth]

Why not defund NPR now? And PBS. And the Legal Services Corporation. And...

[ozzymandus]

Jeeze, even Mona figured it out!

[Burkeman1]

How so many American Jews can fail to notice that liberal equals anti-Israel these days remains a mystery.

Because most Jews in America have long ago dropped any pretense at religious belief, intermarried, and or actively identify the "Jewish experience" as part of the Left in this country. Demographic projections in this country say that within even a generation there will be no identifiable Jewish group other than some small enclaves of Hassidic Jews - they will be like the Amish.

[gcruse]

Newt should have killed NPR when he had the chance.

Was that before or after we killed Newt?

[who_would_fardels_bear]

So they spend a thousand words on a famous Palestinian dude and only a few words on an unknown Israeli dude.

This is the way journalism works.

I listen to NPR way more than I should, but they seem to present both sides on this issue. Certainly they are guilty of using "hard right" more than "hard left", but their reporting on Israel and the Palestinians is hardly fever-swamp reporting.

They had a week-long story talking about the history of the conflict and allowed both sides to laud themselves and castigate their opponents. I once again heard that Begin was an Israeli terrorist and once again heard that the other Arab states did nothing to provide land to Palestinians in hopes of creating a conflict that would eventually drive Israel into the sea.

Same old, same old.

[gcruse]

Jeeze, even Mona figured it out!

What does that mean?  Mona Charen is a
conservative columnist and no dummy.

[MissAmericanPie]

That would be refreshing, they can take PBS to the grave with them.

[pepsionice]

I have been suggesting for years to my congressman to wean the NPR folks off government funding. If they want to exist...which I have no problem about....then get a real job! Make it in the commerical world, with support from real customers. If they want to slant the news to the extreme, find some company that will support you and sell slanted news. The amount of money they get from the US government is around $30 million, at least the last time I checked several years ago. Its not a lot...but I would have my doubts that they could find someone to finanically support their leftist cause on a yearly basis. Most of their 'other' money comes from foundations, which I doubt that it totals more than $10 million...but I may be wrong.

[friendly]

Why the h*ll should my tax dollars go to fund a non-stop propaganda outlet for my sworn enemies?

Yo, Republicans in Congress!!!! Wake up!!!

Time to de-fund the left, or you will be out of a job in two years, when the demonRATS regain Congress thanks in part to their absolute control of PBS.

[goldstategop]

PBS at least produces and broadcasts high brow cultural programming. On the other hand all that NPR produces is liberal propaganda. Yes, the plug should be pulled on the latter. It doesn't say much for liberals the only way they can keep a presence on radio is through the largess of the American people.

[txzman]

Don't just "say" DEFUND NPR NOW - do what I do:

Write your Congressman and Senator via email or paper - tell them that when budgeting comes up for NPR and PBS - just say NO! Enough is enough.

I feel better now.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I agree. In Minnesota, MPR just changed their facilities to state-of-the-art digital systems. Taxpayer's dime, of course. Even so, together with tax monies and grants from PEW and other left leaning trusts, they still have to rattle the cup and beg money from the listeners all the time. Perversely, I like to hear their piteous whining and ceaseless begging because they make it sound like they're on the edge.

In 1996 (I believe) there was a big scandal over MPR and the Sen. Wellstone campaign sharing donor lists because, surprise, they had a good demographic congruence. The defunding of these kinds of creeps is long overdue. From where I stand, I don't think it would matter one iota to the average citizen if they were given the axe. In fact, I am inclined to believe that the average taxpayer, faced with flatline economic trends and headlines about business failures and layoffs, might even be encouraged that government is serious about trimming its own waistline.

The screams of the defunded left would only sound like so much shrillness and left-wing whitenoise to the average American. People know that cuts are going to come, just how dearly America depends on this pork is something to consider. Just a hunch, but I'd be willing to bet that most Americans would rather enjoy the spectacle of government jobs from non-essential sectors being cut along with pork like NPR/PBS/LSC being redlined out of existence.

I'd see it as something encouraging, maybe even entertaining.

[cartoonistx]

There's nothing wrong with NPR that a little EQUAL TIME REQUIREMENT can't cure. Think they'd go for that unilaterally? Wouldn't it be the liberal thing to do? Shouldn't government sponsored programing (at least) be required to show both sides of an issue equally? Make 'em broadcast Rush and Hannity during the day. They can spew their leftist drivel all night long.

[Abar]

NPR, CAMERA, ADL, and anti-Israel bias.

[Fledermaus]

$30 million is "not a lot"? That's 1,000 soldiers at $30,000 a year.

Money much better spent!

[Fledermaus]

PBS at least produces and broadcasts high brow cultural programming.

HA! Like what? Snobbish Masterpiece Theater so we can watch yet another stupid story of British classism? The only high brow cultural programming I see is Sesame Street.

Even NOVA is more about left wing lies than science. And 80-90% of anything on PBS is usually from the BBC.

And I don't need PBS to watch The McLaughlin Group which about the only thing I do watch. I can get it from the website.

And the local PBS here runs lame fund raisers every six weeks. A total waste of federal money.