Friday, January 25, 2008

Open Thread

NPR related comments welcomed.
Posted by Mytwords at 4:55 AM
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5 comments:

Porter Melmoth said...

Just sent this to NPR:
(For we NPR-Checkers, substitute 'Inskeep' with 'Inscreep')

I didn't much appreciate the extremely poor and sneaky decision to reveal, at the tail end of Steve Inskeep's interview with Imran Khan from Pakistan, that Mr Khan didn't know what C-SPAN was, and the general implication was that he is some sort of country bumpkin or political naif, if not a fool. How helpful of NPR to point out this fact, and in such a gently condescending way. The sophisticates in the listening audience no doubt chuckled in their subtle way.

Imran Khan has long enjoyed a huge following as a sportsman in the Commonwealth world (cricket, that is), and has devoted much of his efforts to philanthropy in Pakistan, and now politics. I'm glad NPR is just discovering these things.

So, Imran Khan, let it be known, didn't know what C-SPAN was. Conversely, I wonder if anyone at NPR knew who Imran Khan was (without looking him up on Wikipedia), and what he has accomplished?

This is a continuing problem for such on-air 'personalities' as Steve Inskeep, who tend to speak faster than they can think.

Despite success in ratings, NPR has long moved into a realm where they are hardly a first-stop source for news and insight concerning current events. They may score interviews with VIPs, but opportunities are usually squandered by the lack of talent or quality to be found amongst most of the NPR stalwarts.

Whether Mr Khan agreed to let these 'personal' bits be broadcast or not, I think Inskeep and NPR owe him a public apology for their adolescent abuse of broadcast principles.

1/25/08, 11:03 AM
masbrow said...

Just couldn't help but notice Dennis Kucinich's name mentioned every hour on the hour today, and it was almost surreal. I don't think I've ever experienced it, and all it took was for him to "pull out of the race"

1/25/08, 4:10 PM
Anonymous said...

"Thank you, Porter Melmoth, for your response to Morning Edition. We really strive to be a valuable resource for our listeners, but sometimes we might mess up. Things sometimes just fall through the cracks, or escape our better judgement. And well, not everyone will appreciate how hard we work to get the story right. Your call will be received in the order it has arrived .... operators are busy so please stay on the line."

Jus' kiddin', bro. FIGHT THE POWER!

1/25/08, 5:09 PM
Anonymous said...

And Masbrow - any UFO jokes regarding Kucinich? I heard somethin' on the alternative media (natch - where else?) that he was preparing to file articles of impeachment against you-know-who.

1/25/08, 5:12 PM
Porter Melmoth said...

Well, b!p!fuzzy!b! (man, that's hard to type!), I'm pleased that NPaaaaaRggghh! has gotten that personable in their usually heartless responses. Cool!

Yes indeed, Dennis plans to slam chimpeachment into the House right before Dubya's farewell SOTU. Wish him luck. I assume that Deadeye Dick's included in the package.

Just heard Jack 'Straight Talk' Speer say that Caterpillar's profits are up, mostly from foreign trade. Gawrsh, wonder why? Must be the Gulf again: war in Iraq, and altering Dubai's coastline. Yup, times is good!

1/25/08, 6:15 PM

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