NPR Check: Q Tips

Monday, August 10, 2009

Q Tips

NPR related comments welcomed.

45 comments:

Anonymous said...: Robert Smith (on air with Liane and this morning) was sent out to do a "cheap vacation" feature. This is all part of NPR effort to contain growing anxiety of the management class over deepening economic "news". That's nothing new (to me anyway) but what I found best was:

Here's a guy that doesn't want to spend the big bucks to see BroardWay so he goes to drive-in. The first thing he wants to do then is cheat the owner of the drive-in.

Gotta love NPR which sent me another e-mail telling me they are sorry they "don't meet my expectations . . .". I e-mailed back and said that was the problem; they are meeting my "expectations".

edk; 8/10/09, 11:16 AM
Anonymous said...: There was some specious reporting from On the media without Brook Gladstone regarding the "Astroturfing" being done at Health Care town halls. Essentially the report blamed the tactics on "the Left, who invented these tactics".; 8/10/09, 11:42 AM
Woody (Tokin Librul/Rogue Scholar/ Helluvafella!) said...: On Sunday, I heard Liane say something I never thought I'd hear any of the recent NPR crew declare when, in her lavish love-fest with that singer fella, she said "...but it's not about me..."

To my relief, she then went on to make it about her.; 8/10/09, 4:26 PM
larry, dfh said...: I listened to some of On the Media, but not the segment mentioned. They covered the Colorage Gazeette story (about a week late), and after that they had a very revealing story concerning the type of journalist who gets to be embedded with the military. Without specifically mentioning it, one can conclude that npr gets their 'reporters' embedded BECAUSE they are conservative, pro-military, and comnpliant. It's company policy. The story left me all creeped out in the anti-truth attitude of the military towards being covered by the press, and left no doubt in my mind that non-compliant journalists were irradicated.; 8/10/09, 11:03 PM
Jay Schiavone said...: NPR notes protesters from "both sides" in Portsmith. No hooliganism was observed. Also, no mention of lunatic with a pistol who showed up. He must have been with Acorn.; 8/12/09, 6:39 AM
Anonymous said...: Fresh Air had reporter on last night that just came back from Afghanistan. He had some criticism of the American role in the country but or the most part it was glowing review of the counter insurgency model that general Petraeus had created. The reporter also seemed to use catch phrases ans words that the military and CIA uses.

Have to get the transcript read later today.; 8/12/09, 7:38 AM
Porter Melmoth said...: I can't imagine any MSM reporter who isn't pro-war as far as Afghanistan is concerned. (Personally, I was opposed to it from the start.) Supposedly a 'good war', the PR surrounding it is every bit as suspect as that which motivated the Vietnam War. (Uh...duh...)

My Afghan friend says that shells from the recent mortaring of Kabul landed about a block from his family home. He says that there's practically no way to keep anyone from setting up a temporary mortar fort and sending ordnance into the air. He says that there's practically an endless supply of Soviet Era weaponry, stored in countless secret places, easily accessed and easily used. The supply is regularly augmented, as well.

It wouldn't be too sexy if the Western media kept reminding us of that fact.

Talk about an existential errand...; 8/12/09, 10:42 AM
Porter Melmoth said...: PS: If Obama & Co. don't get us the hell out of there, Afghanistan will be his Waterloo, not little old Health Care.; 8/12/09, 10:44 AM
Porter Melmoth said...: PPS: I'm slightly comforted that the current media and the current Congress still know what a 'Waterloo' is.

In his day, Napoleon was called The Antichrist by his enemies. I'm surprised that the Neocons haven't played that naming card yet. Of course, I forgot, Neocons are 'above history'...; 8/12/09, 10:48 AM
Porter Melmoth said...: Well, here's a bit of PR from the Beeb:

(To my mind, the headline should read: 'Nato's priority must be TO END the Afghan war...')

* Afghan priority for new Nato head *
Nato's priority must be the Afghan war, including talks with parts of the Taliban, the alliance's new leader says.
Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/europe/8181303.stm; 8/12/09, 10:53 AM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: I'm still trying to understand why ME and Steve Inskeep decided to give an open mike the Coach Dungy defender of Michael Vick, America's most famous dog torturer.

The only person sicker than someone who enjoys dog fighting and mutilations is someone who uses that sick person for their own personal self-promotion and profit.

Why NPR decided to promote these two ethically defective individuals is beyond me, however given that NPR doesn't know the meaning of torture when its done to humans, it naturally follows NPR wouldn't have a problem with "aggressive integration" of dogs.

Sad.; 8/12/09, 3:34 PM
i ! i ! u ! u ! said...: Aye to all above.

If ya hadn't yet found good reason to store up severe disdain & stop tuning in, now might be a purty good time~

Da' bastids.; 8/12/09, 6:14 PM
b g p nk f zzy b nny said...: If I may append that hasty spit above with this:

Can't let the bastids get me down if I refuse their entry into my canals.; 8/12/09, 6:16 PM
Anonymous said...: I wonder why NPR has chosen NOT to report on this.

Can you say "Bank Of America is an underwriter for npr MEMBER STATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY"?; 8/12/09, 7:57 PM
Unknown said...: This morning they covered one of those health care town halls... and spoke to this very nice lady... who insisted she wasn't part of any organized group... but was there to protest the Obama Socialist Police State that she can prove exists from documents she got from the Internet... NPR just treated her like a little old lady... without commenting that what she was talking about was batshit crazy... It was VERY DEPRESSING...; 8/13/09, 7:42 AM
masbrow said...: re: Morning Edition interview with David Goldhill: AAARRRRGGH!!!! Health care is NOT a DVD Payer, ASSHOLE!; 8/13/09, 7:49 AM
masbrow said...: l; 8/13/09, 7:50 AM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: Killing time, while wondering if Mytwords took enough zinc oxide to Florida?

Hey, over at Media Matters they report: On Fox News, opponents of health care reform outnumber supporters by 6-to-1 margin” They’re summary: A Media Matters for America review of Fox News guests in segments discussing health care reform on August 10 and 11 found a substantial disparity in favor of opponents of progressive efforts to reform health care. Over the two days, Fox News hosted 63 opponents and only 10 supporters.

http://mediamatters.org/reports/200908120046

“6-to-1 margin” Hummmm, “6-to-1 margin”? Gee, that sounds familiar:

“In Reporting On White House Economic Stimulus Package, NPR Interviews Six GOP Congressmen For Every Democrat based on NPR’s own data”

http://nprcheck.blogspot.com/2009/02/are-we-stimulated-yet.html

So maybe now FOX is emulating NPR?

Shameless promotion on my part.; 8/13/09, 9:29 AM
Porter Melmoth said...: I think that any head of a MSM news outfit is going to want to be in bed with Fox in some capacity. Everyone, from the NYT to NPR is aping Fox and saying, 'Look at Fox and their success. We've got to try the same techniques, or we're finished.' So they worm into the Fox monolith any way they can, so as to suck up to the big-titted cash cow.

It sounds cynical, but the whole media biz is so tweaked in its own cynicism, they've been self-deluded for decades.; 8/13/09, 10:26 AM
Juan "Toss" Ensalada said...: Porter,

I irony of everyone chasing FoxNews is that it has created the space for some news companies to do actual journalism. Funny thing is, some of these companies are commercial ones.

So, leave it to the slow-moving dinosaurs steering the NPR battleships (SS Morning Edition and All Things Considered) to arrive late to the Drudge-inspired, runway show sporting yesterday's fashion.

Sorry about mixing my analogies. I've been inspired by NPR's nitwit guests (see: Tom Friedman).

-jet; 8/13/09, 11:30 AM
Porter Melmoth said...: I hear ya, Juan. To NPR-niks, entities like Friedman are role models.

It's also telling how little NPR is cross-referenced in the general media as far as being a source for insight or story-digging. NPR stars have to go elsewhere (e.g. Fox, etc.) to get showcased. To NPR, it's part of their snooty 'we're too good to descend to the fast lane', while the fast lane has always considered NPR a backwater.; 8/13/09, 11:57 AM
Anonymous said...: This morning Innskeep talked to Maroun Barguotti (sp?) a "reporter" for LA Times. He and Steve rapped on and on about Iranian "torture" of people being held as a result of riots etc over election. No one was named, there was quite a bit of this one told that one who told me . . .

I guess I'll "bother" the (not)Ombudsman and ask her if there is some difference between that "report" and the confessions of Cheney regarding waterboarding and the use of - - - - - - - by Americans. Like why can Steve talk about Iranian "torture" based on Bargoutti's speculative, non-sourced report and . . . Gotta stop. My head will soon explode if I don't.

edk; 8/13/09, 11:57 AM
gopey said...: Port-
I remember being opposed to Gulf War I when 90% of the public was gung ho for bombing the crap out of Iraq - who dared to take our invitation to go ahead and annex Qatar, or Kuwait, or whatever state that is. This is the trouble with empire - everybody has to know everything about the everywhere all the time. Too much to keep track. Remember the highway of death? A charming legacy of American military might.; 8/13/09, 1:37 PM
Anonymous said...: GOPEY:

Remember the babies being thrown out of iron lungs (damn Obama care??) by Iraqis. A charming example of American propaganda.

edk; 8/13/09, 2:17 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: And the endless references, which continue to this day, of Saddam gassing 'his own people'? They were Kurds. They were NEVER 'his own people'.

In the world of TurboLuntzSpeak, ye shall be fooled. And fooled again.; 8/13/09, 5:36 PM
WarOnWarOff said...: And we (well, Rummy) sold Saddam the gas! Good times, good times.; 8/14/09, 7:38 AM
Porter Melmoth said...: Indeed, the bigger the empire, the bigger the boo-boos, and the deeper the doo-doo.; 8/14/09, 10:31 AM
Porter Melmoth said...: A bit of cheer to make us smile and Murdoch weep (if he even has tear ducts that work):

http://wonkette.com/410512/advertisers-flee-fox-news-chubby-racist-hate-clown#more-410512; 8/14/09, 12:48 PM
Anonymous said...: This morning some caller referenced Luntz as a "republican linquist" on a show called Radio Times (with host Mommy most inane). She quickly moved on without noting work done by Luntz for NPR and the fact that he tore Terry Gross (Fresh Air) a new one when she had him on her inane (usually) gasbag show (no interviewer loves the sound of her own voice quite as much as Terry Gross.

edk; 8/14/09, 1:07 PM
Anonymous said...: So NPR gave up 1.4m to the last guy they canned. Heard once at 5am and not since.

edk; 8/14/09, 1:08 PM
Anonymous said...: link for above post:

http://www.current.org/blogger.html

edk; 8/14/09, 1:11 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: I notice Viv Shill is making moves to show she's making NPR more hip.

Most glaring: NPR's new slogan.

ALWAYS ON (but in totally hip lower case letters)

My suggestion for a revamp:

NPR: ALWAYS PUTTING YOU ON (caps to stay); 8/14/09, 2:11 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: Check out Frank's wig from '07. I wonder what his 'Viv Shill Look' will be?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6761960; 8/14/09, 2:16 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: I know, it's just MOCK, MOCK, MOCK, but what's a fella to do when he doesn't listen any more?

It seems to me that the whole insulting and fascist 'DriveWay Moments' fad so beloved at NPR is really just a doomed endeavor (just like NPR as a whole). With the web 'rundown' - A Viv/Luntz Surefire Tool Term (TM) - for every NPR show, why should anyone want to be held hostage in their car to savor every moment when they can just select what they want from the website and edit out all the rubbish they don't want to hear? Or they could even listen to anything they want over and over again, to enjoy the agony at its fullest.

END THE BLOODY TYRANNY OF DRIVEWAY MOMENTS TODAY!!

(All right, no more pestering for this week. Have a great weekend, all!); 8/14/09, 2:25 PM
Anonymous said...: I notice Viv Shill is making moves to show she's making NPR more hip.

Most glaring: NPR's new slogan.

ALWAYS ON

ALWAYS ON

1) message?

2) drugs?

3) top?

4) Donner?

5) Blitzen?

Somehow, it does not surprise me in the least that this kind of vacuous rubbish is coming from Vivian Schiller. She's a PR dweeb. Pretty typical at NPR these days. These people could not get a real job if their life depended on it.; 8/14/09, 2:32 PM
Anonymous said...: Now For Something Nice

I had a friend that I hadn't seen or heard from in 35 years. When they decided to use the internets to see if they could find me one of the first places they found was . . . you all ready? . . . NPR Check.

No editorial comment here but one can never tell where the ripples take us.

edk; 8/15/09, 8:38 AM
Adam Hominem said...: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111843426

Laura Sullivan, I predict, has a grand career ahead of her in the mainstream media. She's a classic propagandist ("don't look there! look here!"), and she's very very good at it, to judge by the comments on the NPR webpage following her piece. If her career as a propagandist doesn't work out, she would also be quite a good nurse--you hardly even feel the needle going in.

Her piece "Folsom Embodies California's Prison Blues" starts out with a recitation of the problem--overcrowded California prisons, high recidivism, constant violence, institutionalized racism, and, of course, underfunding. So far so good--an identification of the problem doesn't require a skilled propagandist.

It's in identifying the problem that her star shines. She makes the obligatory nod to years of racist--disguised as anti-crime or anti-drug--measures, a lack of funding, larger social pressures; but diligent reportorial digging finally leads her to the root of all the problems: why, it's the California Correctional Officer's Association! The problem is the Union, you see! How could we have been so blind as to not see it?

No, Laura, I don't think the CCOA is any friend of mine. I'm aware of their history. But to name them as you do, as the cause of all of California's prison problems? Why, I'm sure Goebbels is smiling down at you as I type. Here's a lovely example from your story that would make the Reichsmarshall proud: "Since ...the inmate population boomed, the union grew from 2,600 officers to 45,000 officers. Salaries jumped: In 1980, the average officer earned $15,000 a year; today, one in every 10 officers makes more than $100,000 a year." Now children, who would like to tell me what is wrong with that comparison (besides the fact that it tells us nothing, that is)? Well, it's designed to make us recoil in horror, while telling us nothing. Prison guards making $100,000 a year? Outrageous! (Well then, you do it). But it's really what Mark Twain was referring to when he spoke of lies, damned lies, and statistics. And did you get this part? 45,000 peace officers holding a state of 30 million hostage? My hats off to 'em, is all I can say.

California's prison problems are a result of 40 years of bad Republican (but I repeat myself) governance. A "lock them away and throw away the key" mentality, mixed in with Prop. 13, and the result is predicable and inevitable. But to hear NPR tell it, the problem is one of the last remaining institutions defending the common man and woman, and beyond that, this execrable piece of yellow journalism casts doubt on the very idea of Unions, which I'm sure, was Ms. Sullivan's intention, unless she is very stupid indeed, which her piece shows no evidence of.; 8/15/09, 8:46 AM
Adam Hominem said...: It's in identifying the -solution-that her star shines

I need a proofreader!; 8/15/09, 9:39 AM
Anonymous said...: Whoever the host was on Saturday's morning edition or whatever it is called was pathetic. I heard his interview with Pittsburgh's mayor about the upcoming G20 being held there. Pathetic. All I remember is that Pittsburgh makes tremendous sandwiches with lots of meat and other unhealthy things in them (that of course are delicious no doubt). The host (himself from the city) asked the mayor if he will serve them. The other major point from the lame interview was that the mayor said his number one concern was public safety. "That is what I thought he would say," I thought. Next, I though, he will mention terrorism. But no, he mentioned .... protesters. Follow up Monsieur Host? Non merci.

--Washington, DC; 8/15/09, 10:41 AM
Anonymous said...: This NPR story about spotting liars is hilarious if you swap in "NPR announcer(s)" wherever you see the word "liar(s)".

The title itself is more than a little ironic, with the above in mind.

"Spotting Lies: Listen, Don't Look"

by Dina Temple-Raston

"Colwell and a forensic psychologist at National University in La Jolla, Calif., named Cheryl Hiscock-Anisman have been doing this kind of interrogation research for years. As a general matter, they have found that people who are making up a story prepare an airtight, simple script that is easy to remember."

An airhead, simpleton script that is easy to remember?

Yep, sure sounds like NPR "news" to me.; 8/15/09, 10:44 AM
Woody (Tokin Librul/Rogue Scholar/ Helluvafella!) said...: WTF Was Tony Blankley, the most eponymously named pundit in the whole world, doing in an ostensibly serious discussion about race on ATC last night with a real expert???

It is completely futile to complain to the goddam ombud--she's a sold-out, dishonest, lying piece of shit...; 8/15/09, 11:46 AM
larry, dfh said...: Yeah I know, the bbc isn't npr. But nonetheless, Friday night was a bit on the bbc financial section (on npr) by two clowns, one from the economist and one from the financial times, about executive compensation. So they were talking about some guy from citi who 'made' them $500 million on oil futures, and whether he was entitled to his contracturally mandated $100 million take. The story was apalling for it's total lack of context, and substace. To these folks, economy is anythging but zero-sum. Profits are made, or created for the company, with absolutely no mention of those at whose expense the profits deerived. And also no mention that citi is basically bust. To them, the fact that the whole world was brought into turmoil, with millions of people tangibly harmed, was a big 'so what?'. And of course to them, this pirate was a brilliant trader, with no mention of revamped accounting standards, willfull ignorance at regulatory institutions, the lessening of reserve requirements, and the removal of regulations designed to protect the public. They were concerned that if the crook didn't get his 'bonus', he'd move on to some other place. I'm worried that if he isn't disemboweled, he'll move on to reek more mayhem.; 8/15/09, 1:52 PM
big...pink...fuzzy....bunny... said...: Nice weekend readin'!! Keep those cards and letters comin'! Of far more edumatainment valuable to seethingly post here than a futile slingshot into the dread black hole anomaly that is the NoPR Dead Letter Office!

I got a million of 'em!
Hot-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha~; 8/16/09, 12:23 AM
Anonymous said...: Woody says "It is completely futile to complain to the goddam ombud--she's a sold-out, dishonest, lying piece of shit..."

..and that's the complimentary stuff.; 8/16/09, 9:31 AM
Anonymous said...: END THE BLOODY TYRANNY OF DRIVEWAY MOMENTS TODAY!!

I have always thought of them as "Drive-by moments".

You are sitting in your car quietly after a long hard day at work and suddenly, out of nowhere, NPR come on the radio and hits you in the back of the head like a bazooka shell.; 8/16/09, 9:39 AM