NPR - National Public Radio - biased or fair?

Question

I once was told how biased it was in one direction or another. How do you feel about NPR?

I don't want to give clues as to which way it was accused of leaning, my own political leanings or my own opinions of NPR so as not to taint anyone's responses.

"Just the facts, M'am.", as Joe Friday might say. :)

Answer 1

I think some people think NPR is liberal because they actually air reports about issues that don't make it on the mainstream media, and also provide much more in-depth global coverage. They present pieces that go beyond the headlines and talk about things that might not make it on the six o'clock news for fear of offending sensitive viewers.

I have a very hard time finding reports that are one-sided. I think NPR bends over backwards to provide balanced coverage, *always* soliciting interviews from both sides of story. What other mainstream news outlet have you heard lately doing a five-minute story on the background of Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family without once presenting any criticism?! NPR usually lets the facts speak for themselves. If you find that too liberal, then you don't understand what's really going on (or you can't understand the big words they use!)

Answer 2

I can't stand Feinstein. She is one of my senators, but in the case of the kind of information one gets from the mainstream corporate t.v and radio, she is right. It keeps the electorate ignorant about the issues. The New York Times wasn't liberal when it was a Bush advocate and reported the Bush lies without question before the Iraq war. Now it's liberal? PULEASE. And, CBS dosn't report anything. Katie Couric is a dunce who eliminates anything that is newsworthy before she sits down. Corporate radio doesn't have liberals on it because the liberals don't go along with their corporate agenda on keeping the electorate uninformed. Sorry to inform you but most liberals don't listen to Air America because it is too too commercial. NPR is conservative and has twice as more conservative spokespeople interviewed than liberals. Sorry, but your argument is flawed on so many levels it makes it laughable at best. It's so flawed that you'd fail logic 101 or Argumentation classes in college. There are no free arena of ideas and entertainment. You just don't get it. Giant corporate entities own these venues and they don't want people like Kucinich, Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader, or other intellectuals from the center or left because they know that as soon as they open their mouths the people will actually listen. They want to keep you uninformed with a kind of 'news' that is entertainment and has been gutted of any real information before it hits the airwaves. The more you listen the less you know. WAKE UP! BTW, we liberals have had liberal radio for over 55 years. It's called Pacifica radio and it has been going listener strong for a very long time. And, it's growing fast. It's alot better than Air America could ever be. There are no commercials because it is 100% listener sponsored. And, it can be listened to on the web all over the country and the world. We don't need any corporate sponsorship or rich right winger proping up someone like Limpdick or Man Coulter. We pay for our radio and we have some of the best interviews, intellectuals and experts in the fields on air. This is something you cons will never have because you prefer a lot of hot air bubble headed morons on Fox. Try listening to Pacifica, I dare you. However, I have to tell you, people with attention spans of 8 year olds won't get it. BTW, Colbert and Olberman's ratings are flying through the roof, you better watch out, your argument is starting to bite you in the butt.

Answer 3

NPR was started by Lyndon Johnson, who was president of USA at that time. I do not consider it biased but you may have run across some form of it. I Hope not. Although I did not like LBJ, I thought the idea of public radio as a very good idea.

Answer 4

Everyone is biased. If you think there is a such thing as fair, you are naive. Its still better than Fox news.