This morning, NPR made sure to mention Romney's surge among rural voters 6 times in 8 minutes

[Orrex]

I'm not talking about 6 mentions in the same news blurb. Rather, they went out of their way to mention it six separate times, in addition the requisite "GOP is gaining strength" mantra by Cokie Roberts.

Obama is leading by just about every metric, but you wouldn't guess it from NPR, where apparently Romney is riding an unstoppable tidal wave into the Whitehouse this November.


Why am i not surprised... again?

[Ninga]

1. I am of the mind that the "media" creates rather than reports. They do this

in order to keep/attract new market share.

They need something to talk about, because without new "news" they would have to say the race is over. Obama won. Yea!

[Eleanors38]

15. Yep. Expect more romney resurgence to balance his gaffes.nt

[loudsue]

2. And they call the President "Mister Obama" EVERY TIME instead of "President

Obama". I'm so sick of rightwingers taking over ALL of the American airwaves.

Anonymous needs to fix the media's wagon.

[DonRedwood]

4. subtle and nasty

[kathman-duzi]

12. I agree. The airwaves and clearchannel in particular are just all that reaches the air waves of the

communities. That and the rural church informing the low information voters is powerful and fills a void for the isolated.

[Fawke Em]

20. Except that Mr. Obama is technically correct according to

the AP Stylebook.

I was a reporter for 10 + years and they're not trying to be obtuse, here.

Granted, their slant on things might leave a lot to be desired (RMoney's Gaining in Rural Votes! Rah! Rah!), but their calling the president, "Mr. Obama," isn't one of them.

[Orrex]

23. I'm glad that you posted that

I asked the same thing about "Mr. Bush" a while back on DU2 because it struck me as conspicuous that they always referred to him that way.

Glad to have the Stylebook confirmation--thanks!

[WinkyDink]

24. True. But $ to donuts they never have said nor will ever say "Mr. Reagan" instead of "President."

[BlueinOhio]

35. They do

The first time the president is mentioned they say President Obama then the rest of that story they will say Mr Obama. They did the same during the Bush years.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. And yet the GOPers still want to defund NPR.

But only because it hasn't yet achieved the status of FOX "News" as the official propaganda arm of the GOP. Gotta try harder, NPR. Maybe they should hire Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich to make their transformation complete, and then their funding would be secure.

[Junkdrawer]

14. Just preparing for their post-NPR careers...

usually with FOX News.

[Scuba]

5. What Dorothy said ...

“The heaviest restriction upon the freedom of public opinion is not the official censorship of a press, but the unofficial censorship by a press which exists not so much to express opinion as to manufacture it.”

Dorothy L. Sayers
1893-1957

British writer, essayist, playwright and translator.

[jsr]

6. Why don't they just hire Limbaugh

and get it over with.

[Tsiyu]

22. Oh, they're more than happy to play his clips

Now, we're told Rush's pathetic, drug-indiced blathering is merely "entertainment." But when NPR wants us to know what Repukes think, they'll pop a Rush clip in just to let us know what a "serious" commentator he is!

They CAN have their cake and eat it, too!

[nanabugg]

7. It will backfire and make a lot Mormon-hating wingnuts stay home. nt

[SDjack]

8. Rural wave building for Willard and GOP? Wait until they realize

that the Repugs iced the Farm Bill. That spash some cold water into their eyes.

[barbtries]

9. they increasingly drive me crazy.

NPRR. should just change the name formally.

[democrat_patriot]

10. I thought the same thing driving in to work. Wow; Romney now has the farmer vote.

We'll take:

Women
Gays
Minorities
Small Bsuinesses
Nascar voters (really)

Etc....

[blm]

11. Cokie Roberts - Cheerleader for BushRepublicans since the 90s.

She turned into a corporate mediawhore in the 90s and never looked back.

[KansDem]

13. I gave up on NPR during the 2000 election

when Cokie reported on the "Bush charm offensive." She told how Bush would use his "charm" to get things done in DC.

"He's so charming...oh, so charming!"

Oh, and more voters wanted to have a beer with him than Al Gore.

Here's "Mr. Charm Offensive"---



And don't forget, he likes to give out nicknames, too!

[blm]

16. Exacty - GHWBush charmed the ladies, too. Especially the pro-fascist media like Roberts and Zahn.

Zahn would do ANYTHING for Poppy Bush. She was so in the tank for him after he left office that one could easily come to conclude that she was one of his operatives working within the media.

[bongbong]

33. She was right

A lush who is drunk 24x7 (in between sleeping off his hangovers in the White House) is oftentimes very charming.

[Comrade Grumpy]

17. I remember when NPR was a progressive alternative.

It hasn't been that way for awhile.

[JustAnotherGen]

18. I noticed that too

And the words - Making him competitive in battleground states.

Reeeaaaaaaaaaallllllyyyyyy?

And the 'only 3% are leaning' comment.

[Auntie Bush]

19. So why do ReThugs want to cut public funding to NPR?

I think they believe their own lies and propaganda. Gullible fools!

[Tsiyu]

21. NPR is just crap any more

Used to listen a lot, not any more. When they had Sarah Palin on last year as an "expert" on foreign policy, asking that flake what she thought about Obama's foreign policy , I figured NPR had jumped the shark into Teabagger waters and I will NEVER donate to NPR again.

And Cokie Roberts is an entitled, clueless airhead

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. lol

[Blue Owl]

26. It was absolutely pathetic

Kochie Roberts...

[BlueStreak]

27. It was really outrageous. And the report didn't even indicate a surge

Republicans have ALWAYS done better with rural voters and low population states. There isn't anything new about that. I guess that is the only place the Romney has any positive results now, so in their quest to give equivalence to both sides, regardless of the facts, this is what we're left with.

[bigtree]

28. heard that and laughed

they really are reaching, but we predicted they would have to find ONE area to give it up for their guy.

[corkhead]

29. The "righting" was on the wall when Bob Edwards was sent for a long walk on a short pier

I have been increasingly disgusted with NPR's news department, and although I still have it on in the morning, I hardly listen anymore.

[Blue Idaho]

30. Get the Public out of NPR!

Since the Bush administration turned NPR into another "Fox-Lite" propaganda outlet - I have no interest is supporting it with tax payer dollars or my own voluntary contributions. I have emailed NPR and my local affiliate to tell them I support its removal as a government funded media outlet and I am encouraging all my friend to do the same.

Their political news coverage is so pathetically biased toward republicans - let them chase advertising dollars with the rest of the right wing media whores.

[just1voice]

31. NPR = Nauseating Propaganda Recitals

They lie their whorish asses off under the guise of fairness, as if constantly repeating lies is somehow fair to someone. The entire premise is absurd.

[DemzRock]

32. Yeah, I haven't listened to NPR for a long time.

I stick with MsNBC, Current, and the Stephanie Miller Show (Facts with Slide Whistle)!

[Egalitarian Thug]

34. You must be mistaken. I am assured by one of DU's 'authorities' that,

since both sides complain about their slanted coverage, it is therefore completely neutral.