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NPR quits Twitter after being labeled as 'state-affiliated media'

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Re: NPR quits Twitter after being labeled as 'state-affiliated media'

#891

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, so to amend OP's original point: Should Twitter come with a label as "state-owned" considering both the Qatari and Saudi governments hold a significant stake in the company?

Personally yes, when i hear everyone clamour for transparency, I want brutal honest transparency, so yes twitter handle and twitter docs should clearly mention that they are owned by Saudia and terrorist Qatar. Same with DW News, Al Jazeera, Middle East eye and Gulf news. I've always wondered, without pure transparency, who will guard the guards?

At least DW is totally transparent about it. A quick look at their web site gives you that info immediately. The info page about it even figures as one of the top Questions in their FAQ:

"DW is Germany’s international broadcaster. It is organized under public law and funded by the German federal tax budget."

https://corporate.dw.com/en/what-kind-of-company-is-deutsche...

"DW is financed via funding from the state, i.e. from tax revenue. This is in contrast to the domestic public channels, which are funded via broadcasting fees."

https://corporate.dw.com/en/who-finances-deutsche-welle/a-36...

Re: NPR quits Twitter after being labeled as 'state-affiliated media'

#892
post #710

It is, since 2015-2016 its just awful. I used to love NPR, listening to is everyday in the 2000s and first half of 2010s, love the podcasts. SOMETHING happened, and it took a whole year or so for almost everything to be focused on politics and race and trump and I just completely lost interest.

A fascist took office, and now more fascists are taking office. When the fascists go, the news can be boring again.

obama and bush took office way before 2015.

Re: NPR quits Twitter after being labeled as 'state-affiliated media'

#893

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You might like "Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media", a 1988 book by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky. > It argues that the mass communication media of the U.S. "are effective and powerful ideological institutions that carry out a system-supportive propaganda function, by reliance on market forces, internalized assumptions, and self-censorship, and without overt coercion", by means of the…

I know it's cliche to say but I started reading this recently and it is amazing how well it applies to the media today. I can't wait for it to be designated a conspiracy theory!

Riiiiight? Imagine reading that at an impressionable age before the Internet was a thing.

To me, most of the craziness we're seeing now seems like a variation on "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm (After They've Seen Paree)?":

> a World War I song that rose to popularity after the war had ended. The lyrics highlight concern that soldiers would not want to return to their family farms after experiencing the European city life and culture of Paris during World War I.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Ya_Gonna_Keep_%27em_Down_o...

...as the masses come out from under the influence of mainstream media. People don't know what to believe and many of them have not had the training and education in rhetoric and logic to be able to effectively navigate the weirdness of the real world.

Re: NPR quits Twitter after being labeled as 'state-affiliated media'

#894
post #751

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much more “state affiliated” can you get than when Trump was in office he spent most of his day watching FoxNews and called it when he didn’t like the coverage and they acquiesced? This is not some conspiracy theory. It was very much out in the open. Even more recently, the house speaker gave Fox preferred access to the Jan 6th video.

> This is not some conspiracy theory. It was very much out in the open. Do you have any evidence of this?

Tons. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/11/29/h... among others. He literally live tweeted about the something related to FOX News segment as it was happening.

Re: NPR quits Twitter after being labeled as 'state-affiliated media'

#895

NPR has been insane since Trump/2016. I play a game with a few friends/family, we tune into NPR, and see how fast they'll talk about trans issue or white supremacy ... its literally 90% of the time within 60 seconds

I play that too! I call it NPR bingo

Re: NPR quits Twitter after being labeled as 'state-affiliated media'

#897
post #507

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Tech companies: Here we go again...under this view, every company is a "tech" company. Does GE or John Deere write software for their hardware? Absolutely. Are they colloquially considered "tech" companies? No. Twitter is a media company (they distribute media). Tech is their operating model to deliver media. As is Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, etc. etc.

> Does GE or John Deere write software for their hardware? Absolutely. Are they colloquially considered "tech" companies? No. Because tech is not their primary line of business. > Twitter is a media company (they distribute media). A media company is the thing that produces media, not the thing that distributes it. Cogent is not a media company.

GE writes a massive amount of software. Not just for their hardware products, but all sorts of other stuff that most folks won’t ever run across.

It’s a mess of a company for sure, but just because their software isn’t common on the web, I’d still classify them as a tech company.

I think of Twitter as a media outlet. They don’t directly employ news writers, but just about all media flows through Twitter in some form or fashion. They’re intrinsically linked to the media landscape.

Re: NPR quits Twitter after being labeled as 'state-affiliated media'

#898

Earlier quoted context omitted.

NPR continuing to publish programming critical of Trump during the Trump presidency, is a pretty strong indication they have editorial independence.

not necessarily. It just means it's not as bad as it would be in China or Russia. NPR knew the democrats would be back in power in a couple of years...they weren't risking much by being anti-Trump. But they did gain goodwill from the democrats, which can extend them support every time they are in power. I am not arguing for or against either side, I am just pointing out a flaw in your logic. I think NPR is so solidly…

> I am not arguing for or against either side, I am just pointing out a flaw in your logic.

I do not see a flaw in their logic:

> NPR continuing to publish programming critical of Trump during the Trump presidency, is a pretty strong indication they have editorial independence.

That is a strong indicator. An indicator that may not convince everyone by itself, but I do not see any flaw in their logic.

Re: NPR quits Twitter after being labeled as 'state-affiliated media'

#899

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.npr.org/about-npr/178660742/public-radio-finance... 31% of their funding comes from member stations. 13% of member station funding comes from government sources. In total that would make about 31% * 13% = 4%.

> 13% of member station funding comes from government sources What is the source of this number? Also is 4% as opposed to 1% a change that alters any of the underlying fundamentals ?

The source is the document in the hyperlink at the start of the comment.

Re: NPR quits Twitter after being labeled as 'state-affiliated media'

#900

Seems like a funny reaction to a label added as a subtitle to an organization with the name National Public Radio People get attached to words or phrases without thinking about what they actually mean, seems like definitions get modified to emotionally herd the [un]imaginative/initiated Wild that style of thinking goes that high up the chain at NPR the CEO sounds child-like with their response

Twitter defines state-affiliated media as: > outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution. [1] This isn't an accurate description of NPR. The government has no control over the content. > NPR receives less than 1% of its direct funding from the federal government [2] Even Twitter re…

Interesting I was unaware of the lack of direct connections in current days

My view was more from a historical context in which NPR as its now onown was a byproduct of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967

Thanks for the insight

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