re: What Does the OT Think of NPR?

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There are some good things on NPR but to say it is unbiased is preposterous

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Didn't say that. Read my whole post.

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At its worst, it's about as biased as CNN. I have definitely heard some segments in which it was clear the host was leaning left or was allowing his/her guests to take it in that direction a bit too far

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Notice how I admit that they definitely have had some biased hosts and people on?

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But for the most part, I find it is largely unbiased

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Notice the qualifier "largely?"

C'mon, bro. Tighten up.

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it's about as biased as CNN

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which is bad enough -- CNN just seems "center" because MSNBC is total loony

and at least CNN is a private business

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are spending tax dollars to promote an agenda

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Technically NPR is less subsidized by tax dollars than just about ANY show produced in Louisiana.

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Communist atheistic socialist fascism. Plain and simple. And 100% funded by my tax dollars.

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huh?

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And 100% funded by my tax dollars.

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Nope:

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Defund NPR radio? Who's funding it anyway?

Is Defund NPR! the new battle hymn for the Republican party?

Ousted NPR analyst Juan Williams, Sarah Palin, Sen. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) all have called for a stop to public funding for National Public Radio.

What would "defunding" mean for NPR?

NPR has said that less than 2 percent of its annual income comes directly from federal sources, through grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for Arts.

The majority of the company's income comes from local radio stations paying programming fees. So the local public radio in, say, Austin, Texas purchases "All Things Considered" and pays NPR a fee for that show. Many of the local public radio stations receive more funding from government programs than NPR does, though they vary per station.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is the largest funder for public radio stations and gets about $400 million a year from the government. About $90 million goes to radio stations.

NPR's second largest income comes from corporate sponsors who can air short advertisements on the programs, though their content and length falls under FCC guidelines because NPR is a public broadcast company.

It also receives private grants and funding from foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates, Ford and MacArthur Foundations.

A full disclosure of the company's income can be seen here (link to June 2013 NPR Financial Breakdown).

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To be fair, this op ed from the Washington Post is from 2010, but the link I pasted to the npr finances page is not. That's from June 2013. Public radio on the whole receives on 11% of its revenue from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

NPR receives only 7% of its finances from Federal grants (which it must compete for) and the money from those grants must be applied directly to why the grant was given in the first place, not to fund general operations.

Now, without federal grants, NPR couldn't do some of the reporting that it does, which would undermine its ability to sell its product, but for the most part NPR receives its funding from sources other than the federal government.

Link to Washington Post Op-Ed piece quoted above

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it's about as biased as CNN
which is bad enough -- CNN just seems "center" because MSNBC is total loony

and at least CNN is a private business

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CNN seems "center" when compared to MSNBC, CBS, and Fox News because it is far more moderate than any of those. It still maintains a slightly liberal bent admittedly, but it is far more moderate than most of the others.

And as I said, NPR is at worst as liberally bent as CNN. Typically, I find its programming unbiased, particularly non-political segments.

Look, I'm about as moderate as it gets. Every "political test" I've ever taken identifies me as a moderate libertarian. I abhor Fox News and MSNBC because they are talking heads out to jam their beliefs down America's throat or to bolster some chucklehead's sense of right and wrong, depending on how that person's sensibilities lean. They do this to drive ratings, not report news.

NPR is seemingly far less incentivized by that. When they stray too far, I turn it off, but I have often found that the hosts and producers prefer to have guests engage in a legitimate dialogue on the issues. Even Diane Rehm, who is as liberal as they come, allows her conservative guest time to clarify his/her points and put forth his/her ideas on a topic.

I think that this moderate leaning is a direct result of the fact that it is dependent upon public funding, despite the fact that it is an independent, non-profit corporation.

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I'd hope that most people loathe CNN for their god-awful reporting moreso than a bias in one direction or the other.

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Good purnt.

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CNN seems "center" when compared to MSNBC, CBS, and Fox News because it is far more moderate than any of those

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LINK

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Kafka

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LINK

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I could link the same thing with relation to you. Do you mean to tell me that MSNBC, CBS and/or Fox News are more moderate than CNN? Don't get me wrong, I don't watch much CNN, but you already admitted it is more moderate than MSNBC. CBS is just as looney as MSNBC and Fox News is just as bad, but on the other side of the pendulum.

So... Where is the disconnect? Is CNN not more moderate?

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They paint beautiful visions using clever background audio, slick impassioned commentators, cleverly written scripts, thereby capturing your momentary trust and fill your head with mindless liberal bullshite. They are without a doubt wolves in sheep's clothing. It has an elitist allure to it.

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