NPR related notes and comments welcomed.
I've currently been posting about once a week, and I anticipate posting far less over the summer months. I'll open a new Q Tips/open-thread post anytime comments reach the 100 mark.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
86 comments:
It looks like we're entering the dog days of summer and a hiatus is in order. This is a good time to remember some golden oldies. How about, Wednesday, June 11, 2008's
Can We Please Take "On the Table" Off the Table? Ah the early days of such saws as "enhanced interrogation" and "all options are on the table." The misty tears of nostalgia kinda make the letters swim around into anagrams like, "A Reasonable Little Photon." How adorably harmless is that? Or, "A Treasonable Hotline Plot." Oooo..oooO There could be intrigue!...if it weren't so horribly tiresome.
A Treasonable Lentil Photo?
I'm old enough to recall the days when to "take someone out" had a positive connotation. After the openly mafioso-style dispatching of Osama Bin Laden (or psycho make-believe drama thereof) those of us (old farts) that can still tell the difference between right and wrong are left to wonder what gangland-thuggery language in White House press packets will be parroted on NPR. Will those disagreeing with US bullying be "rubbed out" or "whacked", perhaps?
All things conservative today did another stellar report about the deficit, on the occasion of the peterson summit of very serious medicare cutters. I was half dozing, which probably just heightened the absurdly patronizing tone to the report: "You're not getting this very serious problem yet, listeners. This is really serious. We HAVE to cut medicare or face unspeakable consequences. Tax-raising? Not so much. Say it with us, "Entitlement slashing."
Have a great summer MM
I will miss your cogent, incisive, salient posts.
I don't write here often any more. I am limited in time and energy and believe that I could, perhaps (perhaps naively?), make a bit of difference posting over at NPR.
I check in almost daily and ALWAYS enjoy reading what you write and routinely learn something I did not know.
And I consider myself curious.
Anyway,
Thank you!
“Since 2002, Medtronic and a group of doctors with financial ties to the medical device company were aware that a new biological agent used in back surgery was linked to sterility in men.”
From a ProPublica on Facebook shared a story today.
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/122553053.html
Reason I cite it, aren't Medtronic a program underwriter at NPR? They sure get a lot of stories/coverage, most of it positive.
http://www.npr.org/search/index.php?searchinput=Medtronic
Peterson Institute was described as "non-partisan" on the All Things Conservative (unabhased flattery at work" piece. I guess that's because Clinton is at this charade.
This morning we heard from "Lulu" back from her tour of North Africa. I smell book deal in the works. I listened and being cursed with a memory I couldn't help thinking about her reporting from Egypt and how she thought the use of American tear gas by Mubarak couldn't be confirmed. She just never bothered to google images of Egyptian tear gas canisters where she could have found hundreds of photos. And she has confined herself to Egypt and Tunisia where American (and I suspect Israeli apparatchiks) are busy trying to compromise the revolution. She would not be sent to Yemen, Bahrain, or Saudi Arabia because . . . well, because they are staunch allies of America and we don't want to know about Saudi forces used against peaceful protestors in Bahrain. And she can't go to Yemen and report on the rising number of dead.
Good job Lulu!
edk
All,
The recent spate of tornados, including a rare one near Chico, CA yesterday, has turned out the usual NPR climate denying trolls on the NPR blogosphere. And, NPR's Jon Hamilton might be an even bigger embarrassment on the NPR Science Desk than physicist David Kestenbaum is at Planet Monkey. In the immortal words of Ricky Gervais (describing Karl Pilkington), NPR is full of some seriously "mank twats;" {delivered in the English voice, and with all of its particular meaning, rather than the American voice}. So, don't tase me, bro!
DQP
By the way, do you suppose the science desk at NPR is made of of that back material we all remember from high school, with bunsen burners attached?
...then there was The Catch Phrase, If You Will from July 17, 2009. "Protecting the local population" was the catch phrase of the day. This, of course, is anagrammatic with "Toucan cipher got a lollipop tent." I find that NPR makes more sense if you take the letters apart and reassemble them.
I wonder what population they imagine the insurgents come from?
NPR keeps up this ruse to the present day. In Afghanistan, Flowers Call the Shots, for instance, has this gem:
Poppy is a key crop [in the Sangin District in southern Afghanistan], and in a way, flowers fuel the fight: The Taliban earn hundreds of millions of dollars from the drug trade, which supplies 90 percent of the world's raw opium used for heroin. Locals rely on the work it generates. But the government wants to end poppy production. So the locals, who need the work, support insurgents who will protect it. It's a deeply ingrained Catch-22.
Methinks they have not read Heller.
Matt your heading into summer with a strong series of excellent posts.
As a former Illinois resident, I want to wish you a fun summer full of sweet corn, local tomatoes, and relaxation. Also watch out for those twisters wouldn't want you to end up in OZ.
Now back to my usual rant:
Classic "he said, she said" reciting of FOX smears in:
"Obama Eyes Disaster At Home While Traveling Abroad"
by Ari Shapiro
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/24/136586027/obama-eyes-disaster-at-home-while-traveling-abroad?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:bb7ff6c9-bd6e-4f08-b87e-bf6630f234eb
You may recall Ari as the correspondent for the Bush DOJ that never reported on any of the numerous scandals and rampant conrruption. His reward, like all good nPR Bushies, was a promotion to White House reporter.
But Ari has gotten so lazy he's at the point of plagiarizing FOX now, rather than the usual nPR sanitizing the FOX talking point with "some people say" catchphrase.
"as the president ordered a pint of Guinness at a local bar."
-Ari "Obama isn't popuar" Shapiro
"Obama Chugging 40's In IRE While Tornadoes Ravage MO."
-FOX News' Eric Bolling Twitter post, 5/23/11
"If President Bush Was Drinking Pints In Ireland After A Natural Disaster, Do You Think The Mainstream Media Would Be So Silent?"
-FOX News' Ingraham Twitter post, 5/24/11
"Linking Tornadoes To Hurricane Katrina, Doocy And Ingraham Complain About Lack Of Criticism Of Obama's Ireland Trip After Tornadoes."
http://mediamatters.org/research/201105240025
Lazy and stupid.
Well, a big dose of whiskey will get the taste of vomit after my mouth after listening to After Senate's Medicare Vote, Ryan Remains Unbowed by your favorite ugly American: Andy Seabrook. Note that the name of the file is "show's little room for compromise" - how's that for spin?
Fred B (h0bbes) wrote:
"... Ryan looks young and sharp... He sits comfortably into his chair, leaning slightly into the mic... Ryan swoops his hand up into the air... The hand sweeps back downward..."
Is this sort of narration really necessary? It is one thing to use up airtime for a man who is trying to undermine the Medicare program. But please don't try to portray him as a venerable person worthy of having his every gesture described to the listener. For all I care, he could have been scratching his crotch throughout the entire interview.
Of Andy just gets a hard-on being around powerful Republicans, so she can't help herself.
of...course
@geoff,
From Seabrook's NPR bio:
"Seabrook and Overby’s most recent collaboration, this time on the flow of money during the 2010 midterm elections, was widely lauded and drew a huge audience spike on NPR.org."
See, this is where news and audience ratings meet. Some say, her work was widley lauded. Still others say, it spiked the NPR.Org audience. Funny, right. NPR.Org has an audience disparate from 'the radio' audience.
I'm with you. I say, "Ack (gulp). Pass the bourbon,please."
Ombudsman says there were people at NPR that didn't feel comfortable taking money from Soros. I'd bet they are mostly the usual suspects that are either "unrepentent hippies" or war-mongering Quakers. Maybe Liane is quitting because she decided to take a stand by quitting rather than take money from Soros. Nah, that's just too much alcohol working.
edk
NPR shows us how low-brow politics is more important than high-brow governance. And in the process, NPR shows us how government IS the problem. Enjoy this hit job by Tamara Keith.
Consumer Agency: A Political Lightning Rod
by TAMARA KEITH
http://tinyurl.com/3vkxys3
DQP
Rhetorical question: Is it me? Or is NPR just a pure unadulterated corporate mouthpiece? Take Looking for a High Tech Job? Try Cotton, please. Monsanto's GMO cotton is ballyhooed as the cat's pajamas without a hint of the controversy around GMO.
As ever, the Monkey Men have little nuggets of wisdom for the soft tissue behind the pseudo-liberal crania to digest:
So, a rule of thumb: If the company you work for provides a product or service that's pretty much the same as what was offered last year and a few years before that, it might be time to start looking for something new.
So, if you're involved with one of those old professions like teaching, nursing or plumbing...we'll, better quit your job while you still can!
All,
Adam Davidson does more than his usual damage on Planet Monkey today. Enjoy!
http://tinyurl.com/3f7bf3w
Don Q. Public
Some pretty good commentary on the High Tech Cotton infomercial. Who knew our own DQP knew so much about farming? Rare knowledge, these days.
edk,
"Nah, that's just too much alcohol working."
When I was young, as I forever am, according to the newly minted septuagenarian, I drank bourbon and it made me upchuck. Now I listen to the npr, it makes me barf, so...only whiskey will disinfect. I hope no bubowskis have been injured in the making of this wee blog.
Ha, only something remotely, yet indelibly, NoPRelated to smite me as I hopped in:
word verification "actory"
(as in their contrived vocal tones, mock concern?)
Re edk's note about NPR's money "concerns": FAIR hits up NPR on their rather selective hand wringing.
Oh what an insufferable drip have we in Inskeep. This ME he refers to (though this phrase didn't make it to the transcript)
The war against militants.
What a vapidly insouciant phrase!
Then there's
I want to make sure that Americans understand this. Why would this be a moment for depression? Because the last big event was that bin Laden was killed — the good guys won. Why wouldn't that be a moment for exhilaration or opportunity?
I can just see little Inskeep in the den of his wealthy Carmel, IN, mcmansion, playing with little plastic soldiers. Apparently he has not matured emotionally nor intellectually since then.
Beginning to look like we were more right on the money regarding Japanese meltdown than the highly paid spin merchants at NPR. We knew cesium meant a meltdown had occured. We knew levels of radioactivity were dangerous and were being underreported. Maybe we can have whole new careers.
Inskeep mentioned that Pakistan spends "vastly" more on defense/security than "education". So I looked to see what the ration of defense/security v education was/is in the good ole USA! USA! USA! Turns out that vastness must be in the eye of the beholder because US spends $1,000,000,000,000 on defense/security (at least) and 85b/year on education. I'll do the math. See, it's not "vast" at all. It is .085 of defense/security. And don't forget this is (defense/security) an mandated spending as opposed to education which seems to be less and less of an entitlement.
And new not-Onbudsman starts today. I guess the T-shirt is right: Same S**t, different day.
edk
^ Awww. Buh-bye, Rapunzel.
I'll be expecting a realllll shake-up (holds nose for that authoritative, nasally tone) "anytime soon."
word ver: "budgyn"
(I'm a "budgin'" by boycotting $-4-0)
Not surprisingly, there is no radio broadcast covering the return of Zelaya to Honduras. Searching the NPR site produces AP articles 1 and 2.
stating things like
Zelaya returns to a country that has since enacted many of the changes he advocated.
So it's as if the coup d'etat never happened! Never mind all the people killed. Never mind the the privatization of the public schools. Never mind the fact that the US military airport has not been converted to civilian use, as Zelaya has advocated.
Of course, without DN, we would know nothing about these things.
Nothing to see here, don't look at the man behind the curtain, have your "driveway moment" as you listen to Stands For Nothing's soothing middlebrow blather.
I enjoyed this nugget in the Zelaya interview on DN:
MANUEL ZELAYA: [translated] We’re talking about the United States, so it’s an empire. The United States is an empire, and so Obama is the president of the United States, but he is not the chief of the empire. Even though Obama would be against the coup, the process toward the coup was already moving forward. The most that they tell a president like President Obama, that there’s a political crisis going on. But they do not talk about the details that they were involved in in terms of the conspiracy.
Robert Siegel ♥'s Robert Gates - what a surprise. General Warlove loves it!
Thoroughly enjoyed with morning coffee a bracing dose of General Warlove's martial "common sense." His comment on the Manning piece in particular is a thing of brilliance. God bless our glorious empire and its obedient radio mouthpiece. USA! USA! NPR!
The Columbia Journalism Review's web site has an excellent story documenting how the Right Wing Zombie lies get started by promotes.
Starts at FOX's WSJ with a dishonest false editorial that cooks numbers to claim that Obama will increase the tax rate to 62%, and then if flows through the FOX smear Factory into the MSM.
Let's watch and see how long it takes NPR to promote this lie.
My bet is "The Bloody Quaker" Scott Simon will facilitate it first.
Here's the link:
http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/a_62_percent_tax_rate_wsj.php
Saturday morning June 4: Listening to Steve Inskeep spewing propaganda to Scott Simon about how the PAKs love drone strikes. Sticking with the Talking Points, boys! Inskeep's been a joke for years, and Simon's close behind. NPR get off the air -or at least get rid of those two puppets and their Pentagon PR-puppeteers!
Oh, lordy, Benoit - it doesn't get much worse than that.
The transcript of Top Al-Qaida Operative Killed In Pakistan is out. Let's have a look at it.
Scott Simon: An extremist group in Pakistan says that its leader has been killed. [note: the NYT refers to this as "A known Taliban militant" - why not say "Taliban" instead of "extremist group"?] Ilyas Kashmiri was one of the most prominent militant operators still operating [is that what operators do?] after Osama bin Laden's death. In fact, there was even speculation [There's that passive voice - who was doing the speculation? We may never know.] last month he might replace bin Laden. Instead, Ilyas Kashmiri has become the target of an American drone strike.
NPR's Steve Inskeep has been reporting for Pakistan this week. He's on the line from Islamabad. Steve, thanks for being with us.
STEVE INSKEEP: Glad to do it, [moist wipe-able] Scott.
SIMON: And Ilyas Kashmiri was well known by terrorism specialists [such as David Headley], but not so well known to Americans generally . What's his record?
INSKEEP: This was a man who is dangerous enough and accomplished enough that the United States posted a $5 million reward for him, a huge reward - one of the largest that was out there, other than the one for bin Laden himself.
Like so many militants, some of his life is shrouded in mystery, but we know that he'd [sic] a former ally of the United States. He is believed to have been involved in the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Later he moved on to fighting against Indian control of Kashmir.
And in 2007, according to American prosecutors, he moved his operations to Waziristan, that's one of the tribal areas along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan - major area of militancy. He was the head of an organization called the 313 Brigade, in turn part of a larger organization with ties to al-Qaida, linked to a wide range of attacks in Pakistan and elsewhere, and conspiracies. He had links to David Headley, the American accused of a role in the terrible Mumbai attacks of 2008. He's got a very long record.
SIMON: You mentioned that he'd once fought on the American side, decades ago. Wasn't he also linked to Pakistan? [Oh, wipe those moist sugar lips, Scott...such savoir faire!]
INSKEEP: Yes. He's a figure who points to Pakistan's awkward involvement for many years with militant groups. He was a former Pakistani commando. He was seen as a hero at one time. A Pakistani newspaper a couple of years ago rather colorfully called him the blue-eyed boy of President Pervez Musharraf; the former blue-eyed boy, we should say. [BA-BING, STEVE! Oh, rubbing out the bad guys is such sweet vengeance, yeah?]
...continued...
INSKEEP: But a caution here: that same article, which is in 2009, Scott, actually said Kashmiri had been killed then. So, on this day when we're reporting his death, we have to tell you he's been reportedly dead before [...and will be again, no doubt].
SIMON: And of course that's good to keep in mind as we try and chase down this story. This was a drone strike, not a commando raid. So how certain can we be that he was killed? [Note the implication that all commando raid stories are reliably true.]
INSKEEP: It may take a while, but evidence has come in all day. Local sources in South Waziristan say he's dead. News agencies are receiving a fax from his group, as you mentioned, calling him a martyr, acknowledging his death. Intelligence sources in Pakistan saying the same thing. The attack came in South Waziristan, so it may take a while for anyone to see a body, or verify a body - about 20 kilometers outside of Wana, which is the capital of that area. South Waziristan, you'll recall, is a very violent area, where Pakistani troops moved in in large numbers last year working to clear militant groups [the US Army, of course, is not one of these militant groups]. And I suppose by the evidence of Kashmiri's existence and reported death there, they have not completely succeeded, although this death would be seen as a major victory [come on, victory!] in that effort.
SIMON: Many of our listeners have heard your whiny reporting over the past week out of Pakistan. They've heard a lot of Pakistanis talk about how upset they are with U.S. policy and many give the drone strikes as a reason. They believe they kill innocent people. [Oh, the silly things some people will believe!]
INSKEEP: Yeah. There's huge criticism of this on the street. The drone strikes are hugely unpopular. Politicians raise a lot of rhetoric against them. [it's just rhetoric] The drones are often described as causing many civilian deaths and a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. This is the United States striking on another country's soil, even if they are striking militants. But as with many things in Pakistan, even though there's fierce criticism here, the picture is a little more complicated than it seems at first.
SIMON: And complicated how?
INSKEEP: Well, a Pakistani army general earlier this year gave a news conference, at which he said the drone strikes were successful and helpful, and that mostly killed terrorists rather than civilians. So, now and again you get a suggestion that the Pakistani government is more satisfied with these strikes than they let on.
SIMON: NPR's Steve Inskeep in Islamabad. Thanks so much.
INSKEEP: You're wipe-able, Scott.
Thanks for the perspective, you LudicrousMeanie you - can't even stomach the transcripts, so I find myself glossing over the "authoritative" & then slow up when the brackets show up.
"gardsali"! (my wordver exclamation)
The two leading ATC stories today:
Tom Bowman: I Wanna Kill!
Tom Gjelton: I Want More, Crazier Reasons fo' Killin'
Word Verification: "deukilt"
Just like NPR
http://tinyurl.com/67kuzuv
NPR/Planet Money/Planet Monkey
NYT/Dealbook/Dealcrook
DQP
Very credible discussion of IMF with representative from the Peterson Institute for International Economics. I wonder if he has an agenda. Linda balanced him out with an interview with... nobody.
that was simon johnson. he's got a great econ blog called the baseline scenario.
Had to love the global culture segment ME had today on hip hop in the middle east. most or all of the rappers featured were shown to be rapping critically about hamas or fatah or the despots in the arab countries. What it lacked in perspectival breadth, it made up in hipness.
NPRs "Ally" in support of Planet Monkey.
http://tinyurl.com/6c46ghy
FAIR guest Harvey Wasserman on Fukushima rips into NPR at about 19 minutes. He talks about CNN's coverage on the health issues as being extremely lame and NPR as even worse:
Today we have Robert Alverez at the Institute for Policy Studies, Arnie Gunderson at Fairwinds, Gordan Edwards and a number of other people who are doing superb analysis of what is going on at Fukushima, and who are held at the fringes. Both Bob and Arnie have been on CNN and they are quoted in the Times from time to time but not with their full impact.
And I will say that the biggest story that the US media has missed is that the radiation has come here. [..] This health issue is the third rail - they will not touch it. [..] There was this moment when Sanjay Gupta [..] out of nowhere started talking about how the radiation isn't dangerous to Americans...based on absolutely no scientific evidence - the complete wings of a prayer [..] completely negating the value of their coverage, as has, by the way, National Public Radio which has been absolutely horrible on this issue. You have Scott Wipeable Simon say on a Saturday show that no one was hurt at Three Mile Island, not even a sprained ankle, an utterly absurd and irresponsible and inaccurate comment and NPR has continually downplayed the hazards of radiation.
So I just completed a very weird NPR listener survey, which asked listeners' knowledge about which news programs NPR produces (trick questions because I knew which was which!) and how NPR receives funds. In one question at the start, I was asked if my local public radio station was portrayed as an independent station or as an NPR station. I said it was confusing: it's ID'd as Vermont's NPR station.
The last questions took a different turn and focused on NPR's reporting on education in America; I gave them poor marks (disappointing) across the board.
At the end of the survey, I was given a chance to make further comments. This is what I wrote:
Why didn't you say you were ending with a survey on NPR's coverage of education issues? I don't see any connection with the first questions to this topic, except to say that the non-NPR produced shows do a vastly better job of coverage on education and bring in other points of view without the usual deference to power that NPR flaunts. Thank you very much.
http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/102647/Online-Comments-Dialogue-or-Diatribe.aspx
I do love that she spent 3 paragraphs attacking me. I love that she managed to mess up my Nom de guerre. I love that she says that she has talked to me, when she did not (other than email), it was her assistant OmBot Lori. I love that she never addresses why “BeeDeeOne was banned in the first place (Heck, I am still wait for an answer on that one besides “you know”) nor did she address why I was banned the other times (besides “let me get back to you on that one”).
But, it is just par for the course I guess with the level on Ombotting that Alicia did.
As to why I was banned:
BeeDeeOne was banned when I questioned the overzealous comment deleteing and commentor banning be Trey Graham...I was one of four people banned by him in ten minutes.
There you go Grumpy Demo I rock Alicia's world and you don't even get a mention, heck not even Nate Bowman or Matt or even real trolls get a mention...but I do. ^.^
Damn, The best Alicia can do in citing "meanness" is Boulder Dude? Compared to the right wing vitriol heaped at NPR when they sponsored the Learn to Speak Teabag gag, BD is a love puppy. This shows the clear veal penning of NPR, where they are chastened not to criticize the reactionary crazies and prefer to pick out a critic who calls them on their propaganda BS.
I must say I'm hurt that Frumpy Demon (ludicrous meanie) gets no mention.
As to personal names...I dunno. I, for one, would prefer that people who know me professionally don't necessarily get access to my personal opinions since that might undermine my professional capacity.
~snort~
Yeppers...I am *such* a meanie!
Now, you have to remember, as I was told by the Assistant OmBot Lori, NPR does not like snark or snarky comments...even though this is not stated in their commenting rules.
As though the on-air (dubious) personalities are neeeeeever snarky. Roll call!!: Simon? 'Kreepy? Mundane? SeigHeil? Adumb? Garfield? GrossAir?
Yeah. Rilly.
Not to pick too much of a nit here, but the folks @ marketplace really should know better. Today was a whole segment on pot from Mexico. Really. And where does the weed that the marketplacers smoke come from? The number one cash (and cash only!) crop in CA, of course. And of course none of that British Columbian stash ever goes south, heaven forbid. But truth only distracts from the narrative, and it is the narrative which is superlative. Meanwhile every red-neck with a camo jacket is either tending his crop or looking in the woods for his buddies' patches.
^ Ha. Yeah, I thought Acapulco Gold & Paraquat went out with Cheech & Chong.
The latest from Andy Carvin re: Alicia's article.
"No idea, since I don't think I was talking about you when I was asked that question. I was asked to explain how the system worked and I wasn't applying it to anyone in particular. I think she picked you as an example. I havent managed actual moderation since last year."
And she wonders why she always got so many comments on her posts.
I missed the listing in boulder dude's wedding registry that he wanted to piss off Alicia! Nice wedding gift from her!
Damn am I jealous of Boulder Dude, maybe it's because I changed my nom de plume to Modest Egotist, thinking I might be banned again or it's that typo free complaints sting more? Congrats.
Early on, I had a few nice emails with NPR moderators, who felt I got too personal. But I guess the volume of comments, and maybe that they out sourced them to Canada ended that.
I admire BD's willingness to rage against the NPR machine. In salute of boulder dude, I'm opening a bottle of my favorite beverage and putting Sinatra's "High Hopes" on the turntable.
"Oops there goes a million kilowatt damn,..."
All,
I too am heartened how boulder dude is held in such high esteem with Alicia Shepard. There is something particular about his comments that got well under the Ombot's skin. Rr is it sheet metal?
As for Grumpy Demo (and a nod to his other alter egos), I think his comments were often a lot more direct and pointed than boulder dude's, so color me surprised that GD didn't win first prize -- in this case, Dishonorable Mention.
Regarding the rest of the misfits who post here, there and everywhere, I don't think it's just a coincidence that NPR considers most of us as the rabble, or the groundlings or the shrill hayseeds, mostly from points well west of the political, financial and intellectual capitols of the U.S. You know, "back east."
To that I say, "I am in great company." I've learned volumes more from all of you for your critique of NPR than I ever will from NPR "news."
Again, congratulations to boulder dude!
Don Q. Public
~bows~
Thank you both. :)
The latest from the Nieman Reports Editor is that they are working on a correction to Alicia's ~cough~diatribe~cough~. Not sure what it will be in toto, but since I talked to Andy Carvin about her misquote in her article, it may be nothing more than stating that Andy Carvin was misquoted and was not talking about me specifically.
My counter comment to Alicia posted at Nieman Reports, no idea if it will ever see the light of day over there:
First off a thank you to Jan Gardner for the correction(s). A response to the thesis posited by Alicia Shepard in favor of the removal of Anonymity: Point One - While I do expect paid reporters, editors and ombudsmen to post/publish their thoughts under their bylines, those of us not entrusted with such great responsibility do feel that our voices should be heard from time to time when those same reporters, editors, and ombudsmen become prone to bias’, laziness or misinformation. Also, since the time of the Federalist Papers, we in the US have had a long standing example of anonymous free political speech that could not be free if names were actually known. This point is even more important in the age of cyber-stalkers, cyber-bullies and employers that can demand access to your Facebook, Linkin or Twitter accounts. Someone with the name of John Smith can be sure that they will have a certain level of anonymity, but someone like myself that has a unique name that only one other person in the world has will never have that same level of anonymity. Point Two – As Ombudsman, Alicia, rarely if ever (outside of typos) responded to any comment in the comments section (follow the link she provided and read any post over the past several years), and as she stated in one of her posts, she only felt moved to respond to emails if a topic got over 50. Phone calls were better and I had the pleasure of talking to Lori Kaplan several times to discuss why my accounts had been banned (no concrete reason given). If NPR had a real comment system that allowed nesting and quoting of comments and if NPR encouraged its employees to actually interact with those in the npr.org community, then I am sure that for the most part, most of the “loudest drunk in the room” issues would be eliminated (ignoring your readers/listeners tends to bring out the worst in them). Also, since NPR and the Ombudsman only ever responded to the loudest drunk in the room (The Mark Fiore’s cartoon, the firing of Juan Williams, etc) those of us that are liberals soon learned what the rules of the game were and became just as loud to get any sort of attention to our concerns. Point Three – Corrections, how I would love for NPR to incorporate a corrections button on its stories, this would also eliminate most all of the “ranting” from those on the Left who have grown tired of the Truthiness that NPR has engaged in with its reporting. Finally – If one wishes to encourage civil dialog, then one MUST actually be in dialog with the listeners/readers of your product. If not, then do not be surprised if your comments descend in to nothing more than page after page of rant counter rant. Also, if the culture you encourage in your comments/community is that those who yell/scream the loudest or the most get their issues responded to, then that is the commenter’s/community you will have. Thank you.
Hrm, where did comment go?
Cross posted from the Neiman Reports post by Alicia Shepard:
First off a thank you to Jan Gardner for the correction(s). A response to the thesis posited by Alicia Shepard in favor of the removal of Anonymity: Point One - While I do expect paid reporters, editors and ombudsmen to post/publish their thoughts under their bylines, those of us not entrusted with such great responsibility do feel that our voices should be heard from time to time when those same reporters, editors, and ombudsmen become prone to bias’, laziness or misinformation. Also, since the time of the Federalist Papers, we in the US have had a long standing example of anonymous free political speech that could not be free if names were actually known. This point is even more important in the age of cyber-stalkers, cyber-bullies and employers that can demand access to your Facebook, Linkin or Twitter accounts. Someone with the name of John Smith can be sure that they will have a certain level of anonymity, but someone like myself that has a unique name that only one other person in the world has will never have that same level of anonymity. Point Two – As Ombudsman, Alicia, rarely if ever (outside of typos) responded to any comment in the comments section (follow the link she provided and read any post over the past several years), and as she stated in one of her posts, she only felt moved to respond to emails if a topic got over 50. Phone calls were better and I had the pleasure of talking to Lori Kaplan several times to discuss why my accounts had been banned (no concrete reason given). If NPR had a real comment system that allowed nesting and quoting of comments and if NPR encouraged its employees to actually interact with those in the npr.org community, then I am sure that for the most part, most of the “loudest drunk in the room” issues would be eliminated (ignoring your readers/listeners tends to bring out the worst in them). Also, since NPR and the Ombudsman only ever responded to the loudest drunk in the room (The Mark Fiore’s cartoon, the firing of Juan Williams, etc) those of us that are liberals soon learned what the rules of the game were and became just as loud to get any sort of attention to our concerns. Point Three – Corrections, how I would love for NPR to incorporate a corrections button on its stories, this would also eliminate most all of the “ranting” from those on the Left who have grown tired of the Truthiness that NPR has engaged in with its reporting. Finally – If one wishes to encourage civil dialog, then one MUST actually be in dialog with the listeners/readers of your product. If not, then do not be surprised if your comments descend in to nothing more than page after page of rant counter rant. Also, if the culture you encourage in your comments/community is that those who yell/scream the loudest or the most get their issues responded to, then that is the commenter’s/community you will have. Thank you.
BD,
Big surprise, Shepard is wrong.
DQP
boulder dude
I think it's that grammar school thing (and appropriate to the maturity with which she approaches her work) where you make fun and torture [sic] the one you have a crush on.
She probably thought she was the center of your world and got jealous that you are able to give so much attention to someone else (your lovely wife).
Or/and, she really misses that, now that she's not the ombot any more, she won't be able to be kicked around by you any more. So, she's reaching out.
I've always marveled at your consistency and constancy, in addition to the quality and humor in your comments. You are always there dong that thing that you do so well.
Oops
"You are always there DOING that thing that you do so well."
I must have been thinking of your honeymoon.
CREDO Action Alert:
Tell American Public Media: Report the facts, not anti-organic propaganda paid for by Monsanto. Click here to automatically sign the petition.
http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=8124&id=22690-1366814-qfTwQRx&t=6
(today's most appropo word ver: "mutort")
Hrm....so why didn't my post from yesterday afternoon not post here?
What I attempted to post over at Nieman and here yesterday.
First off a thank you to Jan Gardner for the correction(s). A response to the thesis posited by Alicia Shepard in favor of the removal of Anonymity:
Point One - While I do expect paid reporters, editors and ombudsmen to post/publish their thoughts under their bylines, those of us not entrusted with such great responsibility do feel that our voices should be heard from time to time when those same reporters, editors, and ombudsmen become prone to bias’, laziness or misinformation. Also, since the time of the Federalist Papers, we in the US have had a long standing example of anonymous free political speech that could not be free if names were actually known. This point is even more important in the age of cyber-stalkers, cyber-bullies and employers that can demand access to your Facebook, Linkin or Twitter accounts. Someone with the name of John Smith can be sure that they will have a certain level of anonymity, but someone like myself that has a unique name that only one other person in the world has will never have that same level of anonymity.
Point Two – As Ombudsman, Alicia, rarely if ever (outside of typos) responded to any comment in the comments section (follow the link she provided and read any post over the past several years), and as she stated in one of her posts, she only felt moved to respond to emails if a topic got over 50. Phone calls were better and I had the pleasure of talking to Lori Kaplan several times to discuss why my accounts had been banned (no concrete reason given). If NPR had a real comment system that allowed nesting and quoting of comments and if NPR encouraged its employees to actually interact with those in the npr.org community, then I am sure that for the most part, most of the “loudest drunk in the room” issues would be eliminated (ignoring your readers/listeners tends to bring out the worst in them). Also, since NPR and the Ombudsman only ever responded to the loudest drunk in the room (The Mark Fiore’s cartoon, the firing of Juan Williams, etc) those of us that are liberals soon learned what the rules of the game were and became just as loud to get any sort of attention to our concerns.
Point Three – Corrections, how I would love for NPR to incorporate a corrections button on its stories, this would also eliminate most all of the “ranting” from those on the Left who have grown tired of the Truthiness that NPR has engaged in with its reporting.
Finally – If one wishes to encourage civil dialog, then one MUST actually be in dialog with the listeners/readers of your product. If not, then do not be surprised if your comments descend in to nothing more than page after page of rant counter rant. Also, if the culture you encourage in your comments/community is that those who yell/scream the loudest or the most get their issues responded to, then that is the commenter’s/community you will have.
Thank you.
Okay, why are posts here disapearing?
Media Matters take nPR and the Beltway villagers to task for their '“Deficit” Disorder'.
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201106170006
nPR has been hyping the Right Wing's deficit hysteria, which I think of as Iraq 2.0. If nothing else the Right learned from Iraq, that if you can panic the villagers with fake threats and propaganda, all skepticism and critical analysis evaporates and then there's no limit to the carp you can get away with.
Hey Boulder Dude,
Serious congratulations! I've been out of town for a week and only checked in once. Blogger has this spam filter that occasionally gets kind of aggressive - but now that I've cleared your comments, they should go through more easily in the future...sorry about the hassle... and, again...fantastic job.
Matt
The new Ombot has awoken to defend Rightwing Money interests, quelle suprise:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2011/06/22/137349286/planet-money-misfires-on-local-economic-developers
NEWS-SPEAK, from nPR.
Don Q. Public
Here's a non-pentagon approved perspective on Libya.
Yep the new Ombudsman at NPR continues the tradion of the prior not-an-ombudsman, only even more a a corporate stooge.
For fun here's word cloud of his first post, anyone notice a word missing?:
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3805302/Planet_Money_Misfires_on_Local_Economic_Developers
Answer: Listener.
Here's a word cloud of the Ombudsman's Mission Statement:
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3806247/NPR_Ombudsman%27s_Misson_Statement
Compare and contrast kids.
Yeah, wordle fun is fun! This is based on a quote from Rachel Martin's Saturday ATC where she tries on various war outfits like she's shopping at Macy's. She hosts the professional neocon dissembler Larry Kaplan who's quoted as saying, with predictably obfuscating dislogic:
The realm of war and peace exists separately apart — and justifiably so — from the economic realm.
wordle.
New lows for NPR:
A credible source worthy of quoating - Alex Jones.
A person worthy of praise for being a partiotic American - Ted Nugent, who offered to let President Obama and Sec. of State Clinton to "suck on his Machine Guns".
Fresh Air spent 40 minutes talking about "agribusiness" and the winter tomatoe but couldn't utter the word Monsanto (bill and Melinda loves em monsanto and npr) or Cargill another big npr sponsor.
TotN featured Negroponte, Harmon, and Chertoff talking about American/muslim relations. Iraq was invaded by US behind lies? And why would the muslim world think so badly of the US just because of that one-off.
And new Ombot? Meet the new ombot, same as the old ombot
And Mara (hearts) Michelle Bachmann!
edk
This morning on a drive to the philly airport, I listened to bbc on whyy. Two out of three Afghanis interviewed favored continued foreign occupation, and every Greek with whom they spoke just happened to be in favor of privitazing absolutely everything. SF:0, promoting the empire by privatizing sovereignty.
Yeah, Ed, the TOTN Drawing Lessons From 9/11, Ten Years Later was kadafl. Michael Skeletor, Airport Scanner Scammer Extraordinaire, Jane Doe Harman War Hardon, Israeli Representative in the Intelligence Committee, Amb. John "Death's Quad" Negroponte, Ubiquitous Agent of Torture, and Thomas Friedman, Eponimous Unit of War Continuance...what a rogues' gallery of 911 profiteers.
What did we learn from 911? That a 1000 foot building can collapse in free fall after some office fires on a few floors.
The new ombot, Silent Edward, claims he wants to our opinion on nPR new feel good happy news attempt called "The Baby Project." Can the "The Puppy Project" and "The Pony Project" be far behind.
Any way I think doesn't want my opinion, sent to the ombot and blog editor:
---------------
Hi Janey,
I have a few questions. Using the nPR search engine and the terms "uninsured" and "unemployed" on this blog, it reports ""There were no documents that matched your search request."
Am I correct in assuming you are ignoring the 1 in 10 childern born in America without health insurance along with the 1 in 9 born into households in which someone is unemployed?
Also, anglo middle class couples appear to be over represented yet Anglos only account for 51% of recent births, why so few minorities?
Lastly, why no men editors? In my extended family at least two fathers are the sole care givers for their babies?
I would like to understand your editorial decisions on who you selected and see a demographic breakdown of the people profiled.
Looks like something out of the 1950s, I should know was there.
Thanks,
GD
cc: Ombudsman
----------------
Let's see if I get a reply.
I'm taking bets I hear nothing.
SOB! There's a six hundred char limit and it doesn't prove the editor's email, but tells we to provide the email! WTF, nice way to promote "dialogue" nPR.
Stay tuned.
All,
It's telling that three of the first posts for "The Baby Project" blog series (which NPR entitles "The Beginnings") address:
Drug Given To Moms After Childbirth Sparks Controversy
by MELISSA BLOCK
(Mozambique)
In Mozambique, Grim Prospects For Mother And Child
by MELISSA BLOCK
(Mozambique)
The Secret World Of Child Brides
by COBURN DUKEHART
(Yemen, etc.)
Not that these issues aren't important. Of course, they are. But, considering that NPR is mostly using -- mostly affluent, educated, white (and from the looks and sounds of it) stay-at-home mothers -- one could wonder (a) why the early concentration on issues clearly OUTSIDE the U.S. and (b) ZERO focus on very REAL issues for mothers, children aand FATHERS (in other words, FAMILIES) INSIDE the U.S., the MANY people about which Grumpy Demo (aka Dances with Typos) refers.
Don Q. Public
All,
New Nonbudman post is up. Looks like the Nontern penned it.
DQP
A search for nuclear plants at NPR won't get you to here. No mention of Nebraska that I could find outside of a link to a AP article: Neb. Nuke Utilities Say Safety Prevails Amid Flood.
You know journalism is dead when the title gives the unsubstantiated insider quote as the whole story.
Local Tv news quotes a guy saying, "they built it for 500 year flood and they're calling this a 100 year flood so I guess we're safe by 400 years." Brilliantly staged news with implacable logic.
inskeep talked to rebel ambassador this morning and couldn't bring himself to ask if reports of French oil giant Total SA getting future oil contracts is a quid pro quo for weapons France is providing.
edk
Searching NPR for "Society for Worldwide Intrabank Financial Telecommunication" produces a flury of links when the Bushies were prosecuting the NYTimes for investigative reporting...in 2006. Nary a word after that. Compare that with Emptywheel.
verification = copyram
WEKU finally got going a sister station that only broadcast music and music shows. Heavy on the classical and light on the jazz probably as part of the agreement with the former jazz station they took over.
WEKU's all music station
Unhappily, I live in the fringe area of the fringe area. Can get it in the car but so far not in the house. It makes my work commute so much more pleasant to have classical music to listen to instead of man-child rock jock stations or the likes of Inskreep as my only radio choices. Having said that, the signal only gets better as I head west. The drive east means the signal deteriorates the closer I get home.
The only radio in the house I haven't tried yet is a 1963 Pilot console stereo that has separate AM and FM tuners that is hooked to a big antenna. None of the newer radios have done any good.
The only regular NPR garbage I've heard of late is Susan Stamberg's blatherings where she's filling in Auntie Liane's spot and mercifully brief at that. I'm still reading here but because I'm not actively listening anymore, don't have a lot to comment on specifically.
Even better, there are no National Propaganda Radio "news" breaks AT ALL on this station that I've heard so far. That alone makes this station near golden even if their choice of music seems at times like it was selected by that female voice Patrick McGoohan heard on his radio in the Village.
All,
NPR removed my comment from their site which contained a link to Dean Baker's criticism of them.
Here is a link to the NPR story:
http://tinyurl.com/3rsc3y7
Here is a link to the NPR criticism
http://tinyurl.com/3gyt3hc
NPR censors are busy!
DQP
Hey DQP,
nPR so far has kept my identical comment up (great or is it inebriated? minds think a like).
Maybe nPR thinks you're an illegal.
Thanks for the head's up, guys. I love to pile on.
@Grumps,
Indeed! It's hard to know what to make of the automatons who work behind the digital firewall at unPR. Maybe they are just as lazy as the journos? They surely cannot be a drunk as me!
DQP
Renee Montage: nPR Hostess Twinkie
DQP
And a SLIGHT omission today, as in the case of the USS Liberty, where it was stated on S4=0 radio that "9 Turkish activists" were killed by Israeli commandos boarding the first Gaza relief flotilla flagship. The status of U.S. citizen was not accorded to Furkan Dogan. This on the 5th of July, no less. Shitheads.
curious to hear how they ATC handles the rest of the story tomorrow about violence on the border: fact or fiction. smart money says it'll be he said, he said, like it was today. but how can they just repeat themselves?
This morning we get a dose of corporate PR:
"At U.S. Nuclear Reactors, Crews Train For The Worst by Richard Harris"
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/06/137633351/at-u-s-nuclear-reactors-crews-train-for-the-worst
Nice uncritical pro-industry commercial.
Wonder why this little fact wasn't included in this report, it only happened two months ago?
"Release of low levels of tritium into Mississippi River:
After heavy rains in late April, 2011, workers were pumping standing water that had collected in the abandoned, never-completed Unit 2 turbine building into the Mississippi River. Detectors sounded alarms at the presence of tritium in the water, and the pumping was stopped, and the accidental release was reported to the Mississippi Health Department and to the NRC. As of the dates of the news reports, it was unknown both how much tritium had entered the river, and how the tritium had collected in the standing water, given that Unit 2 was not an operational reactor, had never been completed. It is unknown how much tritium entered the river, because samples were not taken at the time of the leak. The NRC is investigating to find the source of the leak."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Gulf_Nuclear_Generating_Station#Release_of_low_levels_of_tritium_into_Mississippi_River
Also, this corporation operates the Vermont Yankee Reactor which has a long laundry list of problems, see Wikipedia.
nPR: Not as good a journalist as Wikipedia.
Either this pretty lazy journalism by Richard Harris or he intentionally repackaging a corporate Press Release. Dang, I miss Bob.
Using nPR's search engine and "Entergy" lists numerous nPR reports about problems at their nuke plants.
http://www.npr.org/search/index.php?searchinput=Entergy+%22vermont+yankee%22&tabId=all&dateId=0&programId=0&topicId=0
A reporter that ignores nPR's own reporting?
Also, on Morning Editision this AM we get a GOP flack explaining why we, the American public, are confused and don't understand the Arab Spring.
Best part, an audio quote of President McCain demonstrating his profound knowledge of foreign affairs. He must be a expert he was Qadffi's house guest last year, and he was correct about Iraq.
Anyone else notice that All Things Considered and Morning Edition see to have a quota of at least one President McCain quote per episode?
Post a Comment