Freeper on NPR this morning

[MARALE]

They were talking about the inauguration and how the protesters would not be seen and did not get many sites. They had a guy on from free republic saying that the protesters represent terrorists and Saddam Hussein and terrorists should not be allowed to protest. I am so mad they had a crazy guy like this on NPR and let him speak. At least he sounded paranoid and crazy, but still! After he spoke the news person said that the groups said they were not terrorists. I am flabbergasted and am so mad!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Let Jerkoffs be Jerkoffs.

Let him speak. Let him go on all of the networks. the more the merrier. Let everyone see them.

Nothing better than a spittle-flecked ranter to really alienate folks.

Who was it? Kristinn?

[SHRED]

2. Write them

[e-mail]

[0007]

11. I just did!

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Considering how they hunted a popularly elected President in the 90s, what

they're suggesting is that we should go back and gather up all the conservatives that disrupted democracy in Clinton's time, and considering what we have suffered since, nothing but the highest form of punishment for treason should do.

[Richardo]

4. I heard this too...

DU get painted as a group of kooky conspiracy nuts and the FR's REAL kooky conspiracy nut gets a free ride on national radio.

:grr: :mad: :nuke:

[no_to_war_economy]

5. NPR is worthless

stopped listening long ago - democracy now and flashpoints the best of the best

http://www.pacifica.org/

[jayctravis]

25. one good thing about NPR

Is the commentators do not interrupt each other. No matter their politics, they do have intelligent talk.

Sometimes I flip to Hannity or Ingraham just to see what they have to say, and within 20 minutes I have to switch away because they are just *bickering*.

I will give Hannity one minor nod for having a Dubya impersonator pretend over and over to offer him money...which he modestly and graciously refuses of course! The guy doing the voices (also Poppy and a couple others) had the Bushes down.

[Wisc Badger]

6. PHOOEY!!! - Glad I am a recovering Republican

Putrid, simply putrid.
:argh:

[meegbear]

7. Was this person actually from Free Republic?

I'm asking because if this is true, then we should demand a DU response.

[MARALE]

10. Yes he was

They had gotten a permit for a space to offer "refuge" to attendees. They had on someone from ANSWER- they were protesting and I guess they would be the opposition. At least they sounded more intelligent.

[Atman]

8. NPR has sold out

I was listening yesterday...they thanks their underwriters, as aways, for supporting the "news." Flieshman-Hillard, one of the BushCo PR firms.

I hope someone from NPR is reading this and will pass it along. I've relied on NPR for twenty years, and now I simply don't trust them any more than CNN or Faux. They're lying down with the devil.

Buh-bye, NPR.

[KharmaTrain]

13. Congrats On Following The Money

I've lost total trust in most MSM outlets...including NPR as they've become more and more reliant on corporate funding. The untold Armstrong Williams story is how deep these financial conflicts between "commercial" and "business" practices and ethics and the effects in their content and programming.

From one whose dealt with these people, I will say that advertisers are a pushy bunch...when they buy commercial time they want more than just their 30 seconds, and they get it. This includes favorable coverage on news or "feature" stories. It's the infamous "golden rule"...those who have the gold, make the rules.

I've noticed NPR start going downhill during the last 4 years as less and less Federal money goes to these stations (most only get 10-25% of their operating budgets or less from the CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting) and more comes from "private" funding that includes a lot of right wing "think tanks" or foundations that know what they're buying and are getting their calls answered quickly at a lot of public stations.

I'm enlightened by reading what Soros and his group is doing. They, unlike many others, are seeing how this game is played and ready to fight truth with some fire behind it. Hopefully they can remain independent as it has; clear of the circular firing squads of the DNC.

[G_j]

9. that was unnecessary

it added nothing factual to the story.
Giving time to somebody to call those who don't support Bush terrorists, that is news?

For 'balance' they could have had somebody stating that freepers are fascist brown-shirts, but of course they didn't include that.

[Atman]

16. Don't overlook the bigger effort...

By declaring to the "public" now that protests and dissent won't be allowed anyway (although we KNOW this appears not to be true, at least according to several posts here yesterday), NPR is setting us up, preparing their listeners for...nothing.

Nothing. If they keep telling us there will be no protests anyway, who is going to notice if they don't cover them? No one will write and say "you didn't cover something that didn't happen." It is part of the softening up process so common with the BushCo media right now.

[indigobusiness]

12. NPR should reply to such bs with presidential quotes:

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
-Theodore Roosevelt



I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness." - George W Bush

"I can't hear you because I can't see." - G.W. Bush

[Maddy McCall]

14. I no longer donate to public radio...my $$ go to link tv now.

And DU, of course.

[AP]

15. The thing that totally annoyed me about that story was the way...

...they played the audio from F9/11 and then spun it afterwards by saying that Moore exaggerated it.

Huh?

Who'm I to believe? Scott Simon or my lying eyes? Moore showed people pissed off at Bush throwing shit at the Limo. He didn't say that it happened all along the route. His point was that this shit happened (however briefly) but you didn't know anything about it.

On the day of the innauguaration, the media showed none of that. Just long shots, and not a peep from NPR about the possiblity that a lot of people were unhappy with Bush.

But, Simon calling Moor an exaggerator (rather than calling the media "spinners") is what we're left with on NPR today.

[Dufaeth]

17. Link

http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php?prgDate=13-Jan-2005&prgId=3

way down on the page

[The Stranger]

18. NPR (Neocon Public Relations)

is coopted and just as dangerous as Faux News, although in a different way. Cancel your donation and tell them why.

[ihaveaquestion]

19. NPR's just trying to be "Fair and Balanced," just like Faux News! eom

[katinmn]

20. I listened. There was an interview with ANSWER's spokesperson

The FReeper made dumb comments about protesters being alligned with terrorists and Sadam Hussein.

Overall I don't believe NPR did a bad job on this.

If the beef is that FR was interviewed and not DU, that's one thing. However, a chief organizer of the protest was interviewed so NPR did get comments from each side, as well as park staff.

[AP]

21. The job of the media shouldn't be to let both sides equal time so

that something reasonable can be "balanced" with something absurd.

The frame for this story should not be "you're a terrorist" vs "no we're not terrorists."

There are 100 more intelligent, more informative, and more helpful ways to frame this story.

If I produced it, I would probably ask people why they felt the need to protest and then maybe I'd delve into one or two of their issues.

For example, if it was the argument that the OH vote was fraudulent, maybe I'd talk about what was motivating that belief.

[katinmn]

22. I agree their focus was very broad: protests will take place

You must be a journalist.

Would you be interested in helping to suggest some story angles for media in advance of Jan 20 in an effort to help influence the coverage?

Both print and broadcast editors and producers are used to relying on PR people to shape story angles.

We should suggest some in a media alert, and supply contact info for expert sources.

[paineinthearse]

23. Appropriate response channel

I am new to DU, a refugee from another group, thus am tardy in adding my 2 cents.

1. Past shows can be heard at http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/
Unfortunately, the 13th shows have dropped off the current page. Get a transcript or tape at [e-mail]

2. If there was an interview with an ANSWER person, it would appear they tried to be fair and balanced. If they were not, contact the NPR ombudsman, Jeffrey A. Dvorkin: Questions & Comments: Listeners can call the NPR Ombudsman at 202-513-3245, or by email at http://www.npr.org/contact/columns/index.php?columnId=2781901&personId=2781801

I've found ombudsmen to be very helpful. Be polite, state your case with factual information and hope for the best.

[Liberal In Texas]

24. Just listened to it - I thought it was OK

And the freeper made himself look like an ass.

The park service guy said they were paying for the parade (bushies). Excuse me, but I thought WE were paying for it through tax money. He should have addressed that.

[Strelnikov_]

26. My Response, And The Exact Quote From The Fascist Toady

Dear Sirs:

I am writing regarding a segment on your Thursday Morning (1/13) show:

"Inaugural Protesters Say They're Being Shut Out"

I am completely disgusted that NPR allowed the following quote from Mr. Kristin Taylor, a member of the extreme right-wing group Free Republic, to foul the airwaves:

"Answer and some of the other groups like Code Pink have allied themselves with the terrorists, and with Saddam Hussein. So for them to get permitted demonstration spots along the parade route is akin to giving Saddam Hussein and the terrorists their own cheerleading section."

I never thought I would see the day where NPR would mimic AM hate radio. Journalistic balance does not include just throwing up some ridiculous viewpoint from the opposing side. This is just another example of the "shape of earth, views differ" style of journalism practiced by NPR the last few years.

Consider the words of Theodore Roosevelt:

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."

So, will you be reporting on Monday that Teddy was also allied with the terrorists?

<I dropped the following closing. Thought it was too strong for the delicate sensibilities of NPR>

My opinion, organizations like Free Republic have aligned themselves with the Fascists, and NPR has become their willing mouthpiece.

[kiraboo]

27. I have lost my respect for NPR

over the last few years. However I must say that this interview does nothing to glorify the freeper's cause. He sounds like a fool and no doubt the interviewer was aware of this. What better way to enlighten the audience re: freeper foolishness than to let a person like this speak his mind? It reminds me of when Terry Gross interviewed O'Reilly and in the middle of the interview he picked a fight with her and left the set. I listened to it several times. It really showed the man as he is.

[Strelnikov_]

28. I Guess This One Exceeded My BS Threshold

It was NPR airing an allegation that the groups had 'allied' themselves with the terrorists that crossed my line in the sand.

There is a limit what a bona fide broadcast journalism organization should air.

[kiraboo]

29. LOL. "BS threshold". n/t