NPR Hit Piece on Rally for America

National Public Radio's Marketplace

[Wordsmith]

NPR's widely broadcast business and economy radio program Marketplace included a short segment tonight intended to discredit the past weekend's pro-war rallies.

In short, the segment raised the possibility that many of the pro-war rallies were organized by Clear Channel Communications radio stations either at the direction of the Bush Administration or due to a desire to gain favor with the Administration, a quid pro quo.

They specifically reported that "many in the media" were questioning whether these rallies reflected legitimate public sentiment. Their source for this? A SINGLE "journalist" - from salon.com!!! This "journalist's" comments that Clear Channel was part of a Bush cabal staging shows of public support was the ONLY evidence given of the existence of doubt from "many in the media". Neither Salon nor the journalist were identified as liberals.

To be fair, while Clear Channel didn't comment, the program manager for an affiliate - I believe in Virginia - that organized one of the rallies did speak at length, and quite eloquently, about how the rally sprang from listener demand not directions from HQ.

Still, the smear was quite noticeable. Typical "throw it at the wall and see if it sticks" reporting from NPR, planting the idea with listeners that the VRWC is behind these rallies and all is being directed by the Bush cabal. Thought those who helped with the rallies might like to know. I'll post a transcript or link if I can find one.

[swilhelm73]

So, they'll throw out any dirt they can get on pro-war rallies...but has NPR covered who is behind the pro-appeasement rallies? You'd think the union of former communists and islamists would merit some serious discussion in the press...

[merrin]

I see, so if it's organized by hard-left groups, then it's "genuine," but if it's organized by a radio network, it's not.

Got it.

[Darksheare]

NPR, frontmen for terror, evil, and deviant behavior.

[nvcdl]

Marketplace seems to include a leftist opinion piece in every edition.

[Rocko]

Boycott/defund NPR.

[gathersnomoss]

NPR should have their funding discontinued. Then let's see how they fair in the free market. I do not like my tax dollars funding their second ammendment rights.

[Drango]

Gee NPR...how is it you forgot to report on your sister "Public Broadcasting" stations Pacifica? They have been organizing and mobilizing the ultra left for anti-war protests.

Strange to take umbrage at a commercial station while you give a pass to a TAX funded one. Did I say strange? I meant hypocritical.

[Cindy]

"ARE THEY FOR US OR AGAINST US?" (Updated Daily - Click Here.)

[PianoMan]

Paul Krugman said this too, but he's no journalist, not by a long shot. I can't believe my tax dollars go to this crap.

[Mr. Silverback]

Bump for later reading

[Drango]

Gee NPR...

For the record, Marketplace is technically PRI...which is just another shell under the CPB propaganda machine.

[Beck_isright]

Bookmark to forward to Glenn Beck later. Why are my hard earned dollars being wasted on this communist broadcasting group?

V

[Darksheare]

That would work, but...
NPR is kept alive by idiots who think it's a free speech issue.
If anyone of us said one fourth the vile garbage that NPR does, we'd be arrested for hate speech.

[Shermy]

They've found for themselves a pat excuse not to consider the protests and their message.

[KOZ.]

I knew you two were working for NPR!!!

koz.

[CatoRenasci]

I heard the piece driving home (after Sean Hannity was over) and was infuriated: NPR was the pot calling the kettle black! NPR is cozy with the Demoncrats (remember the flap about mailing lists at WGBH in Boston) and very much anti-war biased. I found their tu quo que attack on Clearchannel despicable.

[Tamzee]

It's actually a bit worse...

Krugman at New York Times took the same salon.com column and turned it into a grand-slam which implied the rally participants were Nazis...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/874701/posts?q=1&&page=21

[m1911]

AFAIK, Pacifica is not publically funded.

[codder too]

Talk show host Glenn Beck was called by NPR to do a taped interview on the Rallies. It ended up being a "non-Story" according to his relating of the session. The NPR interviewer didn't want to hear that there was no political motivation or that Clear Channel did not sponsor nor instigate the Rallies.
Beck did a follow-up NPR "commercial" on his show that was great. Aired on FRiday 3/21. Might be on his web page.