The Misinformation Industry

"It's certainly true that bad information and made-up nonsense circulate on social media."--Robby Soave, Reason

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America."--Uri Berliner

Angel & Trumpet

I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.
Uri Berliner, a senior business editor at NPR

https://www.thefp.com/p/npr-editor-how-npr-lost-americas-trust

"It’s true NPR has always had a liberal bent, but during most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding. 

"In recent years, however, that has changed. Today, those who listen to NPR or read its coverage online find something different: the distilled worldview of a very small segment of the U.S. population." 

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This New York Times story has a comical title: "Accused" of Liberal Bias. My guess is that the majority of NPR journalists are not bothered by this accusation because it is accurate. Anyone who listens to NPR news is well aware of NPR's slant on things, so the story comes as no surprise. 

Accused of Liberal Bias
An essay from an editor at the broadcaster has generated a firestorm of criticism about the network on social media, especially among conservatives.

Uri Berliner, a senior business editor who has worked at NPR for 25 years, wrote in an essay published Tuesday by The Free Press, a popular Substack publication, that “people at every level of NPR have comfortably coalesced around the progressive worldview.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/11/business/media/npr-criticism-liberal-bias.html

"Persistent rumors that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia over the election became the catnip that drove reporting. At NPR, we hitched our wagon to Trump’s most visible antagonist, Representative Adam Schiff." 

"Schiff, who was the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, became NPR’s guiding hand, its ever-present muse. By my count, NPR hosts interviewed Schiff 25 times about Trump and Russia. During many of those conversations, Schiff alluded to purported evidence of collusion. The Schiff talking points became the drumbeat of NPR news reports."

"But when the Mueller report found no credible evidence of collusion, NPR’s coverage was notably sparse. Russiagate quietly faded from our programming."

Russiagate was not NPR’s only miscue.

In October 2020, the New York Post published the explosive report about the laptop Hunter Biden abandoned at a Delaware computer shop containing emails about his sordid business dealings. With the election only weeks away, NPR turned a blind eye. 

“I decided to go out and publish it [this essay] in hopes that something would change, and that we get a broader conversation going about how the news is covered,” Mr. Berliner said.   >>NYTimes

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Question asked on Quora regarding media integrity:

Do you think the mainstream media is a joke? Why or why not?

TJ Hill: Most mainstream news is very frustrating because they usually lie by omission. They leave out important facts to suit they’re agenda. You can find ex-journalists online telling stories about the round table at these organizations. They have to inflate anything that is fear driven to bring in more ratings…..and most of the major news networks are bought and sold by left leaning corporate interests. They absolutely can’t say anything that doesn’t suit their narrative…..It’s fairly obvious at this point that the only people they’re fooling is the elderly. Most people with access to alternative news sources can see the transparency.