[Knell] "Despite the fact that it may appear that I'm a guy who's doing puppet shows, that's not really true."I guess he can truthfully make that claim until December 1st rolls around...
I'll leave this post up as a Q Tips post where other NPR related notes and comments are welcomed and encouraged.
36 comments:
Not sure why a guy like Knell who has developed a good -- and quite honorable -- reputation over the years would want to throw it all away to roll in the dirt with the pigs (and take a pay cut to do it!), but he does.
Jay Rosen is giving NPR the truth, but it's pretty clear (eg, from that they can't handle it.
Instead of taking Rosen's criticism's seriously, NPR's ombudsman replies with the same old same old "defense" of NPR and their he said she said brand of "journalism":
"You say that NPR has been scared away from conclusions. I have only been on the job three months, but haven’t found cowardism. I could be mistaken, but what I have found so far is a belief in using compelling and fair storytelling that over the course of a report conveys the facts and competing interpretations through the voices of people interviewed, and only limited voiceover. This allows listeners to draw their own conclusions, -- Edward Schumacher-Matos (NPR ombudsman)
You gotta just love that made up word "cowardism".
This guy gets paid 150k per year plus benefits to make up words?
What a maroon.
And MTW
Kudos to you.
You were WAY ahead of Jay Rosen, Dean Baker and pretty much everyone else on this.
You had NPR nailed long ago.
..and I'd bet that Jay Rosen and some of the others have been reading some of the things that you have been saying.
Remember how NPR covered the arrest of Amy Goodman and two other Democracy Now journalists who were covering the RNC?
Of course you don't because they didn't.
Democracy Now was just awarded a settlement:
This past week, the St. Paul and Minneapolis police and the Secret Service have settled with us. In addition to paying out $100,000, the St. Paul police department has agreed to implement a training program aimed at educating officers regarding the First Amendment rights of the press and public with respect to police operations—including police handling of media coverage of mass demonstrations—and to pursue implementation of the training program in Minneapolis and statewide" -- Amy Goodman
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/policing_the_prophets_of_wall_street_20111004/
will NPR even mention that Goodman et al won their suit?
doubtful.
Because, of course, the folks at NPR know that Democracy Now is a REAL news organization (what NPR can only claim to be) and even more importantly, that Democracy Now is one of NPR's primary competitors, which would put NPR out of business is NPR did not have the grossly unfair advantage of having their member stations subsidized by the Federal government.
besides, as NPR has shown time and again, NPR is very "selective" when it comes to defending press freedoms (if it affects them, they will defend it to the death, of course. Anyone else, not so much)
Well, NPR continues their Steve Jobs love fest, with not a single mention of the fact that Apple has made millions at the expense of child labor in China and pollution of the air and water when their "devices" (junk) is manufactured.
Too bad Jobs' personal ethics did not measure up to his work ethic.
And of course, the folks at NPR HAVE no ethics -- period.
NPR's fawning over this guy is pretty typical of Ayn Rand fruitcakes
For all the criticisms of Bill Gates, at least he did not make his money by exploiting workers in developing countries -- and has actually "given back" something with his support of vaccines and other health initaitaives through his Gates Foundation.
Jobs mainly gave us worthless trash (ipods, iphones, etc) that just sucks up an endless stream of natural and human resources (polluting the air and water i nthe process -- in other countries like China, of course) and ultimately ends up as worthless junk in the dump.
And, oh, by the way, Steve Jobs did NOT "invent" the personal computer, the GUI or even the mouse as nearly everyone believes. He took the ideas from PARC. Their Alto persoanl computer included those breakthroughs and many more.
npr having difficulty reporting on occupywallst. They need leaders and there don't appear to be many here. NPR wants traditional people to go to and there don't seem to be many of them either.
As an early and ardent supporter of this movement I will run as fast as i can away from them (occupy wall stree) if i even get a whiff they have become stalking horses for Obama or Democrats.
edk
just because of "the way I am" (lol):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5180458.stm
http://dscriber.com/world/grief-on-sesame-street-elmos-uncle-is-a-casualty-of-the-global-war-on-terror
this is part of the reason this sock puppet was chosen: It is simply playing to adults rather than children but it is all the same: War is good, America is even better, and Capitalism is the best of all!
edk
Paul Krugman piles on NPR this morning in his NYT opinion piece about #OWS. Nice.
Did anyone listen to Jay Rosen and Dame Alicia Shepard on MPR "Midmorning" yesterday? I would like to know that it won't make me throw up before I download the podcast.
Thank you, Anoymous. The ongoing deification of Steve Jobs, on NPR and in all the MSM, was revolting.
I never bought an Apple product (overpriced, while I am chronically underpaid), used them sparingly in work settings, and never caught the consumerist fever that seems to infect so many. I think the use of the word "love" in relation to an electronic gadget, is pathetic, e.g. the oft-heard "I LOVE my iPhone (or iPad, or iPod)." I heard someone who came to mourn at an Apple store say on NPR, "Apple products are an extension of yourself." Appalling, especially in light of Apple's atrocious labor abuses. NPR dragged out its most mournful music for this occasion.
Meanwhile, this is the only "Jobs" anyone seems to care to talk about.
This morning as part of a pledge drive, one of the guys on WUKY actually said "NPR has no political or commercial influences on its news reports." Both my fiancee' and I just lost it. I fired off an e-mail to their comment address before going to work:
Subject: comment made by morning DJ during pledge drive
Hide Details
FROM:
patrick lynch
TO:
WUKYcomments@hotmail.com
Message flagged
Friday, October 7, 2011 7:34 AM
Dear WUKY,
I don't know the name of the man who made the comment that NPR is free of political and commercial influence but that is by far the most ridiculous thing I've heard anyone say during a pledge drive. NPR is riddled with both political and commercial influence. NPR has been Fox lite ever since the lead up to the invasion of Iraq. People mistakenly think NPR is a liberal radio network, they're not, they haven't been in years. I quit pledging years ago when NPR started leaning heavily to the right. As it is, I can barely stand to listen even to the non news portions of something I had on 24/7.
There isn't a Republican talking point that will go challenged on either Morning Edition or All Things Considered. There isn't a Democrat who doesn't find himself on the receiving end of being raked over the coals by the likes of Steve Inskeep. Just ask Barney Frank sometime. Tom Gjelten, Rachel Martin and Dina Temple Raston can't resist the opportunity to do some pro Pentagon fear mongering when they get the chance. If you guys seriously listened to NPR and listened closely you'd find they are pro corporate, pro Pentagon, anti teacher, anti worker, anti union. Morning Edition was completely dismissive of the protests in Wisconsin, glowing for even the slightest gathering of the Koch funded Tea Party which incidentally is where some of PBS's funding comes from. If you are a company with a bad rep like State Farm after Katrina, get a NPR sponsorship and Frank Tavare will make you sound like the most benevolent caring multinational company that ever was and never say another bad thing about you ever again. Look at who sponsors the big programmes. It's a rogue's gallery of the worst of Wall Street and Corporate America.
Fair.org and NPR Check have been documenting this for years. Don't get me started on how NPR calls torture "enhanced interrogation". It's just absolutely shameful.
http://nprcheck.blogspot.com/
http://www.fair.org/index.php
Type NPR into fair.org's search box and you'll see that what I've said about NPR news is well documented. There is five plus years of documentation of how wrong your morning dj is on nprcheck. NPR is just another sock puppet of the government and the corporations who own the government.
My pledge dollars go to Democracy Now.
Sincerely,
Patrick Lynch
yyyyow, Pat! Very well penned.
ANd (putting on coy, golly-jeepers Missypoo Blockhead feined voice) "I guesh shomebody needs to turn their fwown upside down!"
"blysin" (!!!)
NPR's original excuse for why they were not covering the Wall Street protests -- "They aren't big enough" -- looks stupider by the day, given the hundreds of thousands of people protesting in twons and cities across the country.
The folks at NPR have been caught with their pretty panties down on this one -- as has Obama (who, according to credible sources, has pictures of Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein embroidered on his)
Very well put Patrick.
You managed to distill what NPR is all about to a few short paragraphs.
and my guess for "the name of the man who made the comment that NPR is free of political and commercial influence" would be Steve Inskeep, or Scott Simon, or Don Goneyea, or Tom Gjelten, or Adam Davidson, or maybe Meeeeeeshell Norris (who actually sounds like a man) or any of the other NPR shills whose job depends on keeping the pledges rolling in.
Friday's Marketplace offered a sneering "review" of Occupy Wally Street. Their basic breakdown was man, those kids are crazy and just wait until it gets cold. They'll go home and hang with their parents. Additionally, Occupy Wall Street is silly because no one is sure what they want. Obviously, they're not listening. Not word one about jobs, not word one about the outrage due to unemployment, not one word about the realities that they address. I expected Marketplace to gloss over the Occupiers, but to not only condemn but demean them in such a manner is terrible, terrible journalism. NPR has used Marketplace as their kneeling stool to kiss the rear of Wall Street so long, there's no objectivity left to it. Stick to reporting numbers.
Anonymous,
It was actually one of the local DJs who made that sweeping idiotic statement about NPR news. That's what rankled us so much that I wrote to the station.
Friday's Marketplace offered a sneering "review" of Occupy Wally Street"
"I say bring it on"
The more NPR belittles the people involved, the more NPR hurts their own cause.
The folks at NPR have no clue how deep they are digging their hole.
Let them dig.
Actually, Anonymous and Popepepe, Marketplace Money is produced by APM, American Public Media and not by NPR though it does broadcast on a lot of public radio stations. Just sayin'
NPR Ombudsman defends another ANGA friendly pro-fracking report on NPR. What a surprise.
Actually, Anonymous and Popepepe, Marketplace Money is produced by APM, American Public Media and not by NPR though it does broadcast on a lot of public radio stations"
I think that's a distinction without a difference in this case because NPR clearly has the same "attitude" toward the protestors: one of condescension and dismissal.
In fact, the "we know more than you do so listen to the wisdom of the NPR Oracle" is NPR in a nutshell.
It's not because the people at NPR are actually smarter than the rest of us, of course.
In fact, just the opposite is the case.
These are some o fthe dumbest of the dumb. The rejects from journalism.
NPR's pretension is the epitome of the Dunning-Kruger effect in action.
Meanwhile at WBUR:
http://vastleft.blogspot.com/2011/10/hub-flub.html
h/t Corrente
This afternoon on Right Wing Things Considered, FOXy Mara Liasoon practically goes ecstatic over Chris Chistie's endorsement of Mitt Romney.
Waaaaaait, a minute?
Christie's disapproval rating at 49% is almost identical to Obama's, who according to numerous NPR broadcaster is "unpopular". How can endorsement by someone who's approval ratings according to NPR proves their "unpopular" endorsement be good for a candidate? Oh, it because THEIR A REPUBLICAN that's why.
Say what you will about Mara, she sure earns her FOX News paycheck.
Christie Approval Rating Is at Lowest in Year as Women Turn More Negative - Bloomberg
Here's my latest, to possibly be deleted, on the NOT A Ombudsmans blog post of him bragging about being on TOTN (blissfly no carried here in DFW):
"And yet, Mr. Schumacher-Machos hasn't and won't answer one single question of a listener on his "blog".
As a listener, I really, really, really, really, really, (oops, channeling Inskeep there) not surprised or disappointed, you can't expect a shill for NPR to be critical of NPR when it shills.
It's like one of the Commandments of the Code of Shills."
when even the talking heads at npr are seemingly skeptical about Iranian "plot" you know you are in deep, deep trouble. On the other hand I guess if the Iranians had used a drone it would have all been good. Especially if the drone maker was Unysis.
edk
From From Who is IOZ? blog
'So the Iranians were going to use an American to hire a Mexican to assassinate a Saudi in Washington. Oh, ok. Let me just read from last night's NPR transcript for you. I have excerpted all you need to know:
SIEGEL: Now, the Iranians have called this a fabrication, someone called it a distraction to keep Americans from thinking about our domestic problems. How convincing is the evidence of Iran's involvement here?
GJELTEN: We really don't know.
Obviously this is going to turn into another case where the FBI tells some half-homeless loser that they're going to set him up with his own moon base and spacekreig Nazi saucer command; dude goes down to the public libarary, poops and shaves in the bathroom, gets online and tells facebook that he is going to launch an interstellar invasion of all the capitals of the planet earth; the Feds pinch the guy; and Eric Holder goes before the American People to cry Klatuu Barada Nikto until the terror cows come home. Robert Meuller says it sounds like a Hollywood script. Like the one that your waiter "accidentally" left at your table, maybe.'
Renee Montaigne's excruciating exchange with Tom Gjelten on the alleged Iranian plot to kill a prominent Saudi on US soil this morning on ME was another NPR "smash your radio" Moment.
Apart from Gjelten's irritating regular insertions of 'YaKnow Renee' in his "report" -- it boils down to this -- "'Cos Eric Holder says so!". As usual, NPR go full bore with half baked stuff they can't be bothered to research further than the press packet.
To anyone paying attention, who is unwilling to apply American Exceptionalism, and who is able to use critical faculties, reports of such "Iranian plots" are surely fishy to say the least for any number of reasons. Not so for Renee and Tom, though, as they chatter away chummily laying the groundwork for more war ...
@RomfordRob: Well said! I heard the report as well and Glenn Greenwald wasted little time deconstructing the stupidity at Salon. He rakes NPR over the coals in update II:
Glenzilla takes down media idiocy on "Iranian plot"
Folkenflik is playing his typical "he'said he said" game (she didn't even get a chance to say in this case)
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/13/141320149/tracking-the-medias-eye-on-occupy-wall-street
He says he is going to provide "Some examples of rival strains of coverage surfaced on the same day earlier this month", but simply uses the opportunity to sneak in some OWS bashing.
Hint to Folkenflik: Just because you are too stupid to figure out why so many thousands of people are protesting Wall Street around the country does not mean they have no reasons for doing so.
It's folks like Folkenflik that inspire me to keep writing to Republican members of Congress to ask them to defund NPR and its member stations entirely.
of course, I don't mention NPR's anti-OWS bias or general swing to the right!
I just mention Juan Williams' firing and the NPR exec meeting with the Muslim front group.
Ha ha!
That's sure to get the Republicans riled up and ready to cut NPR funds if -- WHEN -- they get the chance.
I know one thing: Folkenflik will find it difficult to find another job in radio after NPR is shut down by the Republicans. No one else would ever hire him for radio because of the weird way he talks.
another funder at WHYY with another fail in the works (15 consecutive funder that doesn't meet a goal)
edk
NPR is done.
Stick a fork in them.
Under the "directorship" of The Shiller Twins (former NPR execs Ron and Vivian Schiller), NPR management were counting on partnering with member stations to real in the big fish (rich donors willing to give millions)
See
Stations, NPR seek pact on ultra-major donations
You gotta just love this comment from the peice linked to above:
"This is very much a work in progress,” said Dave Edwards, NPR Board vice chair and g.m. of Milwaukee Public Radio, during the NPR Board’s Feb. 19 meeting. “It’s really about building trust and seeing how we can work together with those who are willing to work with NPR.”
from
http://www.current.org/funding/funding1004coop.shtml
“It’s really about building trust
Ha ha ha ha!
That's all history now. After the "Shiller Comedy Show", NPR will be lucky to get any member stations to work with them.
And no Republican is ever going to give them money after the way Ron Schiller belittled Republicans, that's for sure.
What a crock.
Speaking of which, NPR is just lucky Kroc gave them that $200 million before all the s**t hit the fan, cuz that's the only thing keeping them going at this point.
When that's all gone (and they'll burn through that pretty quickly with all the high salaries and perks for NPR hosts and execs) and after the Republicans defund member stations, it's bye bye NPR.
Anyone who actually gives their hard earned dollars to NPR at this point is crazy because with the way their current funding prospects are looking, the organization simply won't/can't last much longer.
At this point, any donor is throwing his money down the toilet just to keep NPR hosts and execs "in the money" just a little longer.
Yet another fracking industry infomercial courtesy of NPR and Jeff Brady.
whyy had a new thing this funder where you could pay up-front and then get some access to regular prograqmming sans pledge breaks. Why would anyone want to do that when you get gems like this:
A person pretty far up the news food chain, part of that award winning news team assembled didn't know the difference between a "ballon mortgage" and the housing "bubble". I e-mailed them and asked if this was the typical level of excellance seen at WHYY. No reply lol
They are also climbing the heights of passion over this new thing. It is a thumb drive with 30 hours of Terry Gross interviewing music people. God, they haven't seen this much passion since, well, since the Big Bang! I could care less about something like that cause I know if you listen long enough you will hear every interview GasBag has done in the last 30 years, repeatedly. Just like the rest of this financial scam at work she is coasting and has fewer and fewer original shows which seems to be a trend at good old NPR/whyy. Repeat, repeat, and repeat once again.
edk
Occupy NPR.
Wel, well, well.
That cop that NPR reported "appeared" to have sprayed penned up women protestors is being docked vacation time/pay for his "alleged" (according to NPR) transgression.
"Occupy Wall St. Pepper-Spray Cop Anthony Bologna Loses 10 Vacation Days for Violating NYPD Rules
by Rocco Parascandola, Kerry Burke and Helen Kennedy"
In YOUR face NPR, you propagandist scum.
Oh Facebook, Max Blumenthal posted his tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/MaxBlumenthal
from early this morning:
NPR convinces outside company to fire host of opera show because she participated in #occupydc http://t.co/nxgX218s
The host is Lisa Simeone. NPR seems to be runnin' scared.
See War Is a Crime's website for more about NPR's craven, preposterous efforts to get Lisa Simeone fired. NPR's blog post on the subject is here.
I am still amazed, though I should not be, by the way that NPR carries water for the GOP front runner in this dog and pony show. Currently Herman Cain touting his simplistic and detrimental 9-9-9 plan is top o' the pops. Yesterday the report on the GOP/CNN debate/yell fest focused mainly on the earache that was Perry vs. Romney. Rather than provide any information on the detriments of the plan or of any of the substance of the debate (Granted there was very little), the report took a stenographer's pose and ran with that.
On another track, NPR still can't get rid of the bemused ignorance it puts forth when dealing with Occupy Wall Street. They seem flummoxed by it, as if it was some newly discovered organism. They still take the stance and repeat the line that there is no central message or cohesive aspects of the protests, yet mock the "human microphone" aspect of it repeatedly. This morning's back to back intros and reports on OWS were especially great examples of this blind stumbling.
The CIA created a counterinsurgency project called 'Sesame Street' (gosh, why the Ali Baba allusion?) in 1969 when Old Boy OSS- turned-CIA-agent Miles Copeland III published his first book telling how KERMIT Roosevelt and other CIA perps were staging coups and picking puppets in the 1950s Middle East.
Included is that Bay of MISS PIGGY history.
US cities were filled with Black-Panthered urban children who needed to be depoliticized by seeing happy happy white black relations. The woman credited with 'creating' Sesame Street married uber-CIA/Council on Foreign Relations perp, Peter Peterson. Oh, there's more. JFK murdered on 'Tickle Me ELMo street' etc.
Counterpropaganda techniques include INTERFERENCE THEORY ie. creating competing associations with subversive keywords, themes, and images. Oh, there's more.
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