> Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country,” Harrison said. If that was true, losing the CPB would be a travesty. But as a loyal NPR listener for decades, I've found their stuff lately to be unlistenable. It's Fox, but for the Left, and with a bit more of an…
> It's Fox, but for the Left There was a distinct shift to the right at NPR when Obama took office, and by the time he took his second term, NPR News' social media was posting clickbait trash instead of real headlines. "The liberal media" is an irrational boogeyman used to whip ownership in line. Everyone who complains about "bias in the media" is arguing in bad faith while they continue to turn a blind eye to the ov…
Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceasing operations
251–260 of 646 posts
Re: Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceasing operations
#252Earlier quoted context omitted.
That is not what "public" means in ordinary language. Public is intended to mean "supported by taxes". Support by donations is always dependent on the largest donor.
Not going to argue semantics with you. The US government was the largest donor until now. No single non-governmental donor will ever have that level of influence again.
Re: Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceasing operations
#253Earlier quoted context omitted.
> one of the least biased sources of headline news and information available I’m pretty sure that’s the fundamental problem they have with it. They want media whose content they control. (All of this is about control/power, not making things nice or doing things right.)
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Re: Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceasing operations
#254It will regain its trust, but it has a long, uphill battle to get there since, especially since the months leading up to 2016.
Re: Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceasing operations
#255Earlier quoted context omitted.
True. I'm fortunate to live in a community that funds it's public libraries well, but I do know that downstate there are rural communities that have completely defunded theirs. I just don't think the idea of public libraries would get any traction now given how far to the right we've gone.
You don’t think it might have something to do with the Internet and having access to all of the knowledge in the world on your phone? I’m glad libraries exist but a lack of traction if the idea were introduced today would have more to do with the impracticality of them than any political leanings. My town spent millions on a small expansion to the library this past year. A project that if it was in the private sector…
Still, it's nice that there are third spaces like libraries in the community where you can go and aren't expected to have to engage in any commercial activity. That requires buildings. Our library hosts all manner of groups & activities. I went to a seminar on seed-saving the other day at our library, for example. I've gone to others on the art of making Japanese tea, candidate debates for local races, local author book fairs, Taiko drumming, etc. All of that requires some kind of physical infrastructure.
Re: Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceasing operations
#256Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of course, if you live in a large metro the local stations will survive due to large numbers of wealthy and middle class benefactors. This is not necessarily so if you live in a typical red state middle size city or less. Somewhat ironically a lot of the extreme cuts (this included) only serve to reinforce the status of major blue state metros as more desirable, since they have more resources available to fill the ga…
> Somewhat ironically a lot of the extreme cuts (this included) only serve to reinforce the status of major blue state metros as more desirable, since they have more resources available to fill the gaps left by federal austerity. If the people in the red states aren't willing to pay for it , it would seem that they don't think it's desirable. Capitalism is funny that way. I get that you're trying to say that the pie…
Re: Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceasing operations
#257Contrary to the conservative spin over the years, I have found public broadcasting to be one of the least biased sources of headline news and information available. (For their national broadcasts at least - local ... can be hit or miss). In particular, their kids programming is the absolute best. Nothing flashy or exciting, but it's laser focused on education and has zero agenda. And the PBS kids apps are one of the…
> Concerned by the lack of viewpoint diversity, I looked at voter registration for our newsroom. In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans. None. https://www.thefp.com/p/npr-editor-how-npr-lost-americas-tru...
https://steveinskeep.substack.com/p/how-my-npr-colleague-fai...
> When I asked Uri, he said he “couldn’t care less” that I am not a Democrat. He said the important thing was the “aggregate”—exactly what his 87-0 misrepresented by leaving out people like me. While it’s widely believed that most mainstream journalists are Democrats, I’ve had colleagues that I was pretty sure were conservative (I don’t ask), and I’ve learned just since Uri’s article that I am one of several NPR hosts of “no party” registration.
To a broader point, viewpoint diversity != unbias. If I staff half a newspaper with Stalinists that doesn't mean the reporting is going to become more factual or the coverage less biased. If it's become a Republican party position to attack mainstream media, we shouldn't expect them to even be applying for these jobs.
Re: Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceasing operations
#258Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Just at what BBC is able to do in the UK. Every household that watches BBC in the UK needs to pay £174.50 ($230) a year. (the wording here has to be done carefully, let's not digress into being exact on who has to pay it) Federal funding for public media distributed out to $1.54 per person in the US last year. There's... uh... a bit of a difference in the national funding for the BBC and public media in the US.
Every household that has a TV, regardless of their use of the BBC. I don't know why people who essentially use a TV as a monitor for games consoles need to pay it.
Re: Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceasing operations
#259Every government program should have an expiration date attached to it when signed into law.
I just wish Americans saw some of that saved money either in their pocket or public works. But the reality is probably just going to be one more missile shipped to a foreign country.
Re: Corporation for Public Broadcasting ceasing operations
#260Earlier quoted context omitted.
True. I'm fortunate to live in a community that funds it's public libraries well, but I do know that downstate there are rural communities that have completely defunded theirs. I just don't think the idea of public libraries would get any traction now given how far to the right we've gone.
You don’t think it might have something to do with the Internet and having access to all of the knowledge in the world on your phone? I’m glad libraries exist but a lack of traction if the idea were introduced today would have more to do with the impracticality of them than any political leanings. My town spent millions on a small expansion to the library this past year. A project that if it was in the private sector…