NPR, a far-left propaganda organ masquerading as a news organization, is reeling from a damning exposé written by a brave whistleblower, leading to renewed calls for ending the waste of millions of our tax dollars that go to the public radio network every year.
Uri Berliner, a senior business editor at NPR who has worked there for 25 years, wrote in his exposé, published Tuesday by The Free Press website, that leftist politics have repeatedly distorted NPR’s reporting. He wrote that “people at every level of NPR have comfortably coalesced around the progressive worldview” and seek to turn public opinion against former President Donald Trump.
While NPR says it gets less than 1% of its budget directly from the federally funded Corporation for Public Broadcast (CPB), the CPB has given the more than 1,000 local public radio stations around the country $126 million in the 2024 fiscal year. Those stations have paid much of that money to NPR for the right to air the network’s programs, accounting for an estimated 17% or more of NPR’s budget.
You may be thinking, left-wing media bias is well-known and widely practiced. But at least MSNBC, CNN, and other leftist mouthpieces don’t gobble up millions of our hard-earned tax dollars. Think about it: Almost none of us will pay anywhere near $126 million in taxes in our entire lives. But NPR affiliate stations collect this much from us in a year, a good chunk of which goes to NPR.
Responding to the Berliner piece, Trump posted in all caps on his Truth Social site Wednesday: “NO MORE FUNDING FOR NPR, A TOTAL SCAM! EDITOR SAID THEY HAVE NO REPUBLICANS, AND IS ONLY USED TO ‘DAMAGE TRUMP.’ THEY ARE A LIBERAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE. NOT ONE DOLLAR!!!”
Trump is right. NPR was created in 1970 to better inform the public, long before the advent of websites, cable news networks, social media, podcasts, and satellite radio. With hundreds more news sources now available through these platforms, there’s no need to give NPR a competitive edge over commercial broadcasters, or our newly emerging cadre of citizen journalists. Berliner, the NPR whistleblower, did not go to a legacy media outlet with his expose but was published instead by Bari Weiss and her team at The Free Press, one of our new independent sources of reporting and journalism.
Government funding of a news organization is anathema to the very concept of a free press. Dictatorships throughout history have coupled funding for the media with government control and censorship.
In his essay, Berliner cites several examples of NPR’s left-wing bias, including:
- NPR’s hyped and gullible coverage of false claims that former President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia.
- The network’s refusal to report on the scandal uncovered by the New York Post regarding millions of dollars paid to President Biden’s son Hunter by foreign businesses in an apparent influence-buying scheme.
- NPR’s dismissal of the credible theory that the deadly COVID-19 virus originated from a leak at a Chinese lab.
Berliner wrote: “An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR…for NPR, which purports to consider all things, it’s devastating both for its journalism and its business model.”
Berliner, who said he voted against Trump in 2016 and 2020 but still believes it is his job to treat Trump fairly, wrote that Trump’s “election in 2016 was greeted at NPR with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and despair,” leading many NPR journalists to engage in “efforts to damage or topple Trump’s presidency.”
The essay Berliner wrote for the Free Press goes on to skewer NPR for its dedication to far-left orthodoxy, such as: absurdly requiring politically correct language like Latinx to be used on-air; embracing the view that NPR’s mission is to change “America’s infestation with systemic racism;” and using a central tracking system to record the race, gender, ethnicity and other demographic characteristics of everyone interviewed in news reports.
Berliner also wrote that rather than relating to each other as individuals, NPR employees were divided into a growing number of affinity groups based on identity, including “Marginalized Genders and Intersex People of Color” and “Women, Gender-Expansive, and Transgender People in Technology Throughout Public Media.”
Concerned about the lack of viewpoint diversity among NPR staffers, Berliner said he looked up voter registration records for his colleagues living in Washington, D.C., and “found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans.” Hmm…you think that just might have something to do with NPR’s leftward tilt?
The New York Times reported Thursday: “Some journalists have defended Mr. Berliner’s essay. Jeffrey A. Dvorkin, NPR’s former ombudsman, said Mr. Berliner was ‘not wrong’ on social media. Chuck Holmes, a former managing editor at NPR, called Mr. Berliner’s essay ‘brave’ on Facebook.” In contrast, NPR’s current managing editor of standards and practices, Tony Cavin, told the Times “he rejected all of Mr. Berliner’s claims of unfairness.”
As former NPR CEO Ken Stern wrote in a candid op-ed in the New York Post in 2017: “Most reporters and editors are liberal…When you are liberal, and everyone else around you is as well, it is easy to fall into groupthink on what stories are important, what sources are legitimate, and what the narrative of the day will be.” This has clearly happened at NPR.
Republicans in Congress and the White House — including Presidents Nixon, Reagan, and Trump — have tried to defund NPR over the decades but could never get Congress to go along. It’s time to revive that effort, which could succeed if Trump is reelected in November with Republican majorities in the House and Senate.
Berliner wrote in part, “An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America.” Not surprisingly, when bias and political agendas consumed many legacy media outlets, they also suddenly began losing their audiences. Trust in media is so low a in 2023 Gallup and the Knight Foundation reported, “Half of Americans in a recent survey indicated they believe national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public to adopt a particular point of view through their reporting.” Berliner’s expose gives that finding a striking legitimacy.
Like all other failing legacy media outlets, NPR has every right to continue broadcasting and publishing its left-wing take on the world. But it should get its hands out of our pockets and purses and stop collecting our hard-earned tax dollars to fund its propaganda.
Tammy Bruce, an Independent Conservative, has traversed a unique political journey that reflects her commitment to principles rather than party affiliations. She joined Fox News in 2005 as a Political Contributor, hosting her show “Get Tammy Bruce” on Fox Nation and providing insightful commentary on various issues for the Association for Mature Americans (AMAC).
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
I didn’t need the Expose to know this was the case with NPR.
National Public Radio in reality is MNPR — Marxist National Propaganda Radio.
Actually, the legacy media outlets aren’t losing their audiences. They’re DRIVING AWAY their audiences.
Npr has always been a leftist organization. When i listened in the 70s and 80s they invariably featured broadcasters who spoke in low key, measured tones. They spoke in a therapeutic voice that made them seem so friendly and reasonable that they must be telling the truth. If the devil masquerades as an angel of light, these folks do so as the voice of common sense, but there is none in leftism.
I’ve seldom listened to NPR just because of their bias. The fact that I have to pay for them just adds o the disdain. They sorely need to be defunded.
Like PBS i never trusted NPR even before I started to pay attention to what the Elites are doing to this country.
The galling thing is that the government supports this liberal group think at the expense of half the nation.
Take away the gov.funding and fire the minister of propaganda
Unless one is a mentally defective liberal, it is impossible to miss the liberal tone of N.P.R. It is astonishing that the people at N.P.R. are oblivious to how silly their flaming liberal bias comes across in their on air reporting. So ingrained is this bias that the N.P.R. people seem to actually believe that they are reporting in a fair and balanced way.
To be candid, I sometime tune into the broadcast of N.P.R. just to confirm that my poor opinion of liberals is not without foundation. If one “reads between the lines” one can pick up a point or two about the views of the Democrats that is interesting. In fact, I often burst out loud laughing at something said on N.P.R. that is so ridiculous that it defies rational thought. At such times they present an earnest manner that makes their views all the more comical.
What is not so comical is that there are so many liberals that infect, and damage the very fabric of the freedom based society that the Founding Fathers bequeathed to their progeny, (us). The day might dawn when defending individual liberty itself, might require armed resistance. The Founders thought of that possibility too, evidenced by the inclusion of the Second Amendment to the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson said it best: ” The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
The most galling thing is that the government supports this liberal group think at the expense of half the population.
.We need to defund PBS and the NEA, too.
NPR and PBS have been anti conservatives for years. They want our money but not our ideas. I have withdrawn my support years ago when I found out their beliefs and propaganda. Finally it is all coming out. They are all liars and manipulators for the dems and anti America. Finally their true allegiance is being exposed.
What all thinking people knew 20+ years ago.
NPR – National Propaganda Report. Anybody with a brain could figure out they were left wing biased.
Bias expose’? Of something that has been known for decades? Duh.
When will media catch up with what the public already knows ?
AMAC is pure unbiased Journalism!! Great job folks!!
Keep up the great work!!
Speaking of NPR and Bill Buckley… My friend and political commentator, Don Pesci just published an article titled, “Bill Buckley — Skip the Doc, Read The Books“, about NPR’s documentary, “The incomparable Mr. Buckley. You may find it interesting (and timely).
Opening paragraph:
National Review, a magazine founded by Bill Buckley in 1955, has given a thumbs down to National Public Radio’s recent documentary, ‘The Incomparable Mr. Buckley’, and no wonder. The documentary barely scratches the surface of the man who wrote in the inaugural first edition of National Review, “A conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it.”
Today’s NPR is not the NPR of the ’70’s. I remember watching National Review founder, the late Bill Buckley on PBS’s “Firing Line” when I was 15/16, circa 1973/74. Buckley sat on a bar stool, legs crossed, smoking a cigarette with his ash tray standing next to him. I remember his laugh and his “Ha’va’d” accent. He would not have been on-air, today.
Purge NPR rebrand National Patriots Radio
Purge staffers
Make commercial
Retain address
Ok, no surprise here, the only point of interest is that an NPR insider wrote the “exposé”.
I actually remember that, years ago, NPR investigated their reporting, and acknowledged a liberal bias, not so much in their reporting, but in the stories that they decided to report on. The unfortunate issue is, there was no declaration that they would try to be fair in the future.
I do listen to NPR, viewing it as the leftist view of the world, and knowing that the ‘facts’ are always skewed to the left. It’s important to keep tabs on your opponent!
Why is this a news story? This has been common knowledge for at least 25 years or more. There is absolutely nothing new, or previously unknown here.
The need to eliminate any and all taxpayer imposed and mandated funding should immediately began; including all Federal, State, and local taxes.
So this is “news” ?
I heard him. The situation seems to be worse than we expected.
I do not remember when they were unbiased. Ages ago they had some programs that were non-political that I enjoyed. I have not listened to them for forty years, except for a brief few minutes occasionally when I tune them in by accident. Without even knowing for sure that it is NPR I am tuned to, I can tell immediately by the condescending, smarmy, pseudo-intellectual voices, that I have hit upon NPR. I suppose Libs think it is fine for them to be tax funded because they believe NPR is the truth.
Apparently we will never get them defunded so at least there should be a tax funded conservative alternative station!
Why are we still funding this operation?
Both NPR and PBS are scams. I cannot remember the last time I tuned in to one or the other when it wasn’t holding a fundraising event, hosts begging for donors’ money. It is non-stop at these stations. They should not receive taxpayers money…why? because the don’t have commercials?…but, yes! they do. The commercials used to be subtle mentions of corporate names but now it is obvious. A cruise line, a major oil company, a health org., etc. all noted in an ad-like few minutes. A program “sponsored by” etc. So NO TAXPAYER $ to either NPR nor PBS, Let them sink or swim on their viewers dime.
Who didn’t know that NPR was a leftist organization? If you were paying attention, you knew this all along.
Let earn their own money
Disgusting but not surprising. Pulling back the curtains on the “Wizards of Was” is refreshing. May NPR continue their voyage on a (hopefully) sinking ship!!
New People’s Revolution (NPR) has been nothing but a propaganda conduit for the people’s socialist democratic republic blue pill party for decades. And it’s funded by taxpayer $$$
What is the argument for government funding of any media? Political pressure and bias is assured to follow.
Ron Schiller suggested NPR would be better off if it did not accept federal funding, fueling the argument of GOP lawmakers who for months have been pushing to halt taxpayer support for NPR.
NPR has admitted that they don’t need taxpayer subsidies to thrive, and at a time when the government is borrowing 40 cents of every dollar that it spends, we certainly agree with them,” Eric Cantor said.
Defund NPR and redirect that money to Soc. Sec. DC better not talk about changes to SS if NPR is still funded.
I recall as far back as the 70s calling to express my anger a comment made by one of their newscasters. And this was long before I was even remotely interested in politics. So this current upset over NPR is no surprise. I also cancelled my contribution.
Here is Uri’s entire essay. I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust. | The Free Press (thefp.com)
Is Anyone on any point of the Political “Sphere” in the least bit Surprised at these Data?As late as my mid-30’s I used to contribute substantially to NPR stations, in the cities to which my craven pursuit of my alleged career drug me. In Cincinnati thru the late 1980s, there were FIVE public radio stations, each affiliated with one of the local universities. One played Classical, another Folk, the Third Jazz, the fourth World Music. Can’t remember the fifth. But they ALL subscribed to the National Feed for part of their programming. All of’em got at least modest annual contributions from me, because their Local Content was Excellent.
Many folks were struck at the start of the 1991 Gulf War, how the US Mainstream “News” personalities ALL began wearing Crisply Starched Combat Fatigues, and sprinkling General Schwartzkopf’s trademarked modifier “CLEARLY” into their statements, delivered Earnestly for the cameras with their Military posture and endlessly repeated observation that the scenes of our munition deliveries seemed like excerpts from a Video Game.
As a proud Navy Brat son of a decorated WWII Vet, and voracious reader of History, I had to get away from the seeming PARODY US Newscasts, and switched to watching Canadian coverage of the war, which in that time seemed far more objective and actually informative.
In Chicago in the Fall of 1991 in the run-up to the presidential election, I listened to Chicago public radio, which at the time had the BEST, most rational and even-handed analysis of politics I’d ever heard from ANY broadcast.
Is that kind of reporting going on anywhere in the US in this time??? So much has changed in less than two generations…
At least in the old Soviet System, grazhdanyin & grazhdanka, citizens on the Street were fully aware that Izvestia and Pravda exclusively conveyed the narratives that had been vetted and approved by the Politburo & Central Committee.
PBSD is a good station. Public supported allrite. With Govt. funding. Then have the gll to ask for donationsonce or twice a year. What a sham. Kyle L.
I didn’t need an expose to know NPR was leftist !!
Austin City limits is the only program that is worth watching on NPR.