NPR Ombudsman response to PEW report: "can we have a do-over?"

[AP]

...and "it's not just us! British press sucks too." He also suggests that if reporters were businessmen, they might be better. Huh?

By the way, NPR must have LOVED the PEW poll because it said that reporters, on the whole are liberal, but the media industry is more commercial. NPR gets to pretend that they're liberal, and then get to pretend they're not commercial -- they get to reaffirm some stereotypes which another recent FAIR report suggest don't exit at all at NPR.

Remember, this is the guy who's supposed to looking criticially at NPR's journalism and holding their feet to the flames.

I hope that Pew -- a highly respected polling organization -- would try again. A better poll would be to look more deeply into how journalistic checks and balances work: Do editors find that they are dealing with bias more than they used to? Do reporters and editors sense more or less pressure to deal with the campaigns in a certain way than they did in 2000? How does commercialism impact on the quality of reporting? Where does that pressure come from? Self-censorship or managerial fiat? Do readers, viewers and listeners sense a reticence on the part of journalists to go after the story in a post-Sept. 11 political environment? Are our European colleagues correct when they say that the American media has been cowed? (A British politician recently remarked that it wasn't necessary to muzzle Fleet Street: "You don't have to muzzle sheep.")

There is much that can be pointed to as examples of inherent bias in the media -- including NPR.

The media -- as a class -- tends to be remarkably homogeneous. As an NPR editor pointed out to me recently, "How many of our journalists have ever operated a business?" The poll indirectly points to the need for more diversity in our newsrooms -- both intellectual and cultural.

These are important questions that Pew could have asked, but didn't. My concern is whether this poll may create an environment of "prior restraint" by inhibiting journalists from asking the tougher questions.

http://www.npr.org/features/columns/column.php?columnId=2781901

[kaitykaity]

1. This guy is a dweeb.

He got into it with a reader of MWO, throwing off an
insulting dismissal before having to apologize to that
person.

No wonder NPR is starting to sound like regular talk
radio, with a guy like this checking up on things.

:eyes:

[papau]

2. NPR's Ombudsman right on point with comments - I agree with him

He says:

"What About Management Politics?

More importantly in my opinion, the poll never asks about the political leanings of the media owners, publishers and upper management of news organizations. It is arguable that their politics are more influential than their employees in choosing the direction of a news organization.

This poll seems to me to be an example of how to keep journalists on the defensive in an election year. That may not have been the intention of whoever commissioned this study. But it certainly will be an outcome -- unintended or otherwise."

[thebigidea]

3. yeah, forget people with media skills - lets replace em with businessmen!

Having a businessman/CEO President worked out so well, might as well spread the joy!