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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

(Newser) – 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.”

An NPR building is seen in this file photo.
An NPR building is seen in this file photo.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 107 comments
littlewolfplaying
Mar 27, 2011 6:27 AM CDT
NPR is one of the freest outlets for news i read and i read a lot of news. fox news and the GOP would like nothing better than to close it down. so that there ideas and opinions is only one you have to choose from
yoeydude
Mar 27, 2011 2:57 AM CDT
smart people like to listen to NPR , even repugs ,... the smart ones ,.... the dumdchits listen to glen an rush hawk gold and viagra ,.... i think thats a basic outline
Sir_Cancelout
Mar 25, 2011 9:10 AM CDT
In response to "Eleutherius," I performed an "unscientific study" of the posts-to-date on this particular thread. Please allow for a slight margin of error in my tabulation and math: There are a total of 97 COMMENTS with the following "idelogical orientation": 44% = liberal 36% = independent 20% = conservative There are a total of 224 "LIKE" votes with the following "ideological orientation": 85% = liberal 8% = conservative 7% = independent What does it prove? I'll let you judge for yourself!

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