Liberals are feeling a bit twitchy following the release of a devastating essay that pulled back the veil of National Public Radio (NPR) and revealed its ugly liberal leanings.
NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner reveals that “NPR lost its way” when it started “telling people how to think” in his essay, “I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.” The essay, published by The Free Press, is a look back at NPR’s journey from a slightly left-leaning station to a Trump-hating, progressive dream come true.
During Donald Trump’s presidency, Berliner noted a surge in advocacy journalism. At NPR and other newsrooms, Trump’s 2016 election brought a negative mix of emotions, from “disbelief to anger and despair.” While Berliner did not vote for Trump, he recognized the importance of remaining objective in his reporting.
But per Berliner, what began as rigorous reporting on a sitting president gradually evolved into efforts to undermine his presidency and remove him from office. The persistent rumors of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the election fueled much of this reporting frenzy.
Berliner said the coverage at NPR closely aligned with the stance of Representative Adam Schiff, a proponent of those rumors. Berliner said Schiff was a constant presence, “guiding” the facts and how they were reported. NPR interviewed him 25 times regarding Trump and Russia. During these interviews, Schiff frequently alluded to evidence of collusion. These points of discussion from Schiff became a recurring theme in NPR’s news reports.
However, when the Mueller report found no substantial evidence of collusion, NPR’s coverage significantly declined. Then, says Berliner, the whole Russiagate narrative gradually faded away from our programming. Without a word or an apology, NPR pretended years of Russiagate coverage never happened, just as all the other liberal media did.
In October 2020, the New York Post released the Hunter laptop story, alleging that it contained emails about his shady business dealings. With the election nearing, NPR chose to ignore it, considering it a non-story and a distraction. However, contrary to claims of Russian disinformation, the laptop belonged to Hunter Biden, revealing his ties to corrupt practices and potentially impacting his father’s reputation.
Despite its significance, NPR opted not to pursue the story. Berliner said journalists admitted it should be covered up because it might help Trump win a second term. Even when the authenticity of the emails was confirmed later, NPR didn’t own up to its initial dismissal, similar to the handling of the Russia collusion narrative.
Berliner also points to the politicization of COVID-19’s origins for liberal benefit. He writes that the lab leak idea was quickly criticized as racist or a right-wing conspiracy. Influential figures like Anthony Fauci dismissed it, leading NPR to strongly support the natural origin theory, even claiming the lab leak had been disproven.
Like all other media outlets at the time, NPR ignored many virologists who considered the possibility of a lab leak in Wuhan as far back as 2020 when the virus ramped up.
Discussing the lab leak theory became heated. Some scientists privately admitted uncertainty, with one even changing their mind between a lab escape or natural origin.
Investigative journalists presented compelling arguments for the lab leak theory throughout the pandemic. Still, per Berliner’s essay, NPR remained committed to the natural origin story, even when the Energy Department suggested a lab leak was likely.
On February 28, 2023, NPR confidently stated that “the scientific evidence overwhelmingly points to a natural origin for the virus,” ignoring other possibilities.
Berliner’s essay was an eye-opener, a confirmation of what conservatives already knew, and the reason for a new Trump meltdown. He posted to social media, “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, who has never met a capital letter he didn’t like, is right to be outraged over the latest scandal.
NPR was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. Unlike other non-profit membership media organizations, NPR’s establishment was mandated by Congress, with funding from member station dues, corporate sponsorships, and publicly funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants.
Most of its member stations are owned by non-profit entities like public school districts, colleges, and universities, notably anti-Trump institutions. Its extensive network spans over 1,000 public radio stations nationwide. NPR allegedly produces neutral coverage without governmental overreach for national distribution.
It’s a big government concept with an even bigger global reach. It’s also a lot of listeners to indoctrinate with misinformation, but NPR has shown that it is up to the task.
