Staff Reports
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley spoke out about National Public Radio (NPR) having a left-leaning bias. Turley mentioned that NPR’s new CEO, Katherine Maher, seems unwilling to change the outlet’s coverage, despite criticism of bias from one of NPR’s editors, Uri Berliner. Berliner’s essay pointed out the lack of diversity in viewpoints at NPR, which led to his suspension. Turley commented that this suspension shows NPR’s resistance to different perspectives.
Turley expressed disappointment that NPR did not select a more traditional journalist as its new CEO. He believed that a shift towards a more neutral stance, especially as a publicly-funded media organization, would have been beneficial. Instead, Maher, NPR’s CEO, defended the outlet’s current coverage, indicating that no significant changes are planned. This decision disappointed critics like Turley who hoped for a change in NPR’s approach.
‘NPR Has Radically Changed’: Jonathan Turley Says New CEO Told Conservatives To ‘Pound Sand’ https://t.co/pC82mM1ti9 . #Trump2024 pic.twitter.com/gZ3M7fHiyR
— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNah) April 17, 2024
NPR has been called out for emphasizing allegations of collusion between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia, based on the discredited Steele Dossier. Turley pointed out the skewed reporting by NPR and questioned the necessity of federal funding for the organization. He compared NPR to MSNBC, noting that the latter does not rely on federal funding to operate successfully.
Turley raised the broader question of whether taxpayer funding should support media organizations like NPR. He criticized the idea of a state-funded media outlet like NPR, regardless of its political slant. Turley’s comments suggest a conservative viewpoint that questions the role of government funding in shaping media bias and narrative.
