NPR Isn't Biased, It's Honest

Audience mostly middle-of-road, conservative, Morning Edition host says
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 24, 2011 11:39 AM CDT
Steve Inskeep: NPR Isn't Biased, It's Honest and Attracts Conservatives, too
An NPR building is seen in this file photo.   (Getty Images)

James O’Keefe’s sting video purports to expose NPR’s liberal bias, but anyone who actually listens will realize it has “nothing to do with what NPR puts on the air,” argues Morning Edition co-host Steve Inskeep in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. “I congratulate Mr. O'Keefe for upholding his values: faith in the power of video to mislead," Inskeep writes. In reality, NPR strives for fairness—and in surveys, most listeners identify as “middle of the road” or “conservative.”

“Conservatives in our diverse audience let us know when they disagree with our coverage—as do liberals, who've sent notes for years to advise me that I am conservative," Inskeep writes. NPR's really about reporters like Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, who braves artillery fire every day to drive to the front lines in Libya and assess rebel progress. “Is that liberal or conservative? Maybe it’s neither. It’s an honest and honorable effort to keep Americans informed.” (More NPR stories.)

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