Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Boot Licking Good

Ever wonder how NPR might cover the emergence of a police state and the gutting of the Constitution in the United States? No need to speculate: consider how they cover federal, state and local police hiring informants to spy on legal dissent, raiding homes of law abiding citizens with frivolous search warrants, ordering preventive detentions of citizens, and illegally assaulting and arresting reporters: they don't.

Not only does NPR not cover the illegality of police behavior, but during many of the hourly news summaries I've heard in the last several days they've blamed any violence on demonstrators and linked police actions to demonstrators who've committed vandalism (without any suggestion that some of these could well be the actions of mole/provocateurs).

8 comments:

Kevan Smith said...

Amen!

I just read this:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/newsandviews/2008/09/pepper_spray_and_peplums_gop_m.html

Quoting: "For what it's worth, we'll be discussing the arrests in more depth tomorrow."

Also, note the comments. Potential NPR Check subscribers there. :)

Anonymous said...

Wow, thank ya for the linkage, Kev.

1) sussed folks tellin' 'em what for

and more startlingly...

2) NoPR Inc. having the temerity to post them!!!

(gasp!)

Porter Melmoth said...

Just sent the following to Kev's link:

"For a lively, intelligent and well-vetted examination of NPR today, see:

http://nprcheck.blogspot.com/

You will never listen to NPR in the same way again."

We'll see if it's 'approved by the blog owner'...

Anonymous said...

Hey Porter, looks like the comment WAS approved. Now hundreds of people will visit this stupid site... once.

Anonymous said...

I expect very little of NPR these days, but noted that during a day of heavily Repub.-skewed guest lineups on the talk shows today, the protests were mentioned on "Talk of the Nation" only glancingly: host Neil Conan asked "political junkie" Ken Rudin only whether the protests had "interfered" with the RNC proceedings.

Heaven forfend that lawful protests would "interfere" with the Repubs' lovefest. Thank goodness for the thugs in jackboots and riot gear, keeping things orderly for McCain's coronation.

Kevan Smith said...

Faria was interviewed by one of the reporters about what's going on, and they talked about the arrests for about one minute then off to Palin land. I guess that was the "more depth" she promised. Very disappointing. What will it take? Steve Inskeep being pepper sprayed and beaten before NPR wakes up to the threat to a free press?

woodenclouds said...

.

Here is a video taken by Democracy Now producer Nicole Salazar, as she is being attacked by stormtroopers in St Paul. She is yelling "press" press" as she backs away...this is not good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jreRSEQ_yg


.

macon d said...

Yay, linked by Crooks and Liars! Well deserved, Mytwords.

There's a great, bitter satire to be made on how NPR is covering the emergence of a police state. I imagine you've seen this one, from SNL? (sorry, you have to scroll to the end of the blog post for it) This SNL satire is more about NPR's repression of the physical than its coverage of an emerging police state; actually, though, this IS how NPR is covering the emergence of a police state--by diverting most of its announcers' energy and enthusiasm to trivial lifestyle topics instead.