NPR reporter reports preposterous GOP talking point as fact

[Enrique]

It was an amazing thing. I listened to this supposed "news" report, where this supposed reporter Jim Zarrolli "reported" how businesses are not hiring because of the "uncertainty" over extending the Bush tax cuts. No mention is made of the fact that this GOP talking point is preposterous. No mention even of the fact that it is disputed. No mention even of the fact that this is an opinion. It is reported as fact.

To underline how dumb Zarrolli's report was, the very next segment on NPR had a debate between a democrat and a republican. The one thing they both agreed on was that the "uncertainty" argument is "silly".

http://www.wbur.org/npr/130107422/delay-on-tax-cut-vote-creates-hiring-uncertainty

Delay On Tax Cut Vote Creates Hiring Uncertainty

(...)

Dunaway not only heads the chain of 220 restaurants. He also is the franchisee of 14 stores, and the uncertainty over how high taxes will be next year has left him hanging about whether he can afford to hire or invest.

"Right now, I will not grow because of the uncertainty," Dunaway says. "Personally, I will not open any more restaurants until I understand the ramifications of either increasing tax rates or keeping them the same, or what the ramifications will be to my business as a small-business owner on health care."

(...)

Prolonging The Uncertainty

But many business owners complain that the delay comes at a time when many states are in deep financial distress and are contemplating tax holes of their own. All that only prolongs the uncertainty about their bottom line, leaving them unsure whether to invest or hire.

(...)

At a time when the economy is limping out of a recession and the national unemployment rate is 9.6 percent, the added uncertainty won't help matters much, says Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist for IHS Global Insight.

(...)



http://www.wbur.org/npr/130107426/week-in-politics-tax-cuts

(...)

Ms. FINNEY: Well, just a couple of things. I think this argument regarding uncertainty is a little bit silly. I mean...

Mr. SALAM: I agree. I actually agree.

GREENE: We have agreement.

(...)

[marmar]

1. NPR frames a lot of their stories on Republican memes

nt

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. NPR has long lost its believability and credibility

I rarely listen, and gave up sending $$$ a long time ago.

When the reaganauts launched their attacks on NPR, NPR began is slow, sad, decline.

A pity, they were once a great source of real news.

[verges]

13. NPR is more than "All Things Considered"

When you donate money, you're donating money to your lcal station in order for them to purchase programming from NPR and APR. NPR stations are NOT owned by NPR. And when you donate, you let them know what programming you like and dislike. And NPR has other worthwhile shows besides ATC. "Prairie Home Companion" is liberal writer Garrison Keillor's most visible outlet. Though the show is not really polical a liberal slant creeps in frequently (Comedian Al Franken and actor Martin Sheen have both been frequent guests). Also "Wait, Wait. Don't Tell Me" is pretty good and with a slightly more liberal bent. It's a humorous political quiz show. And that's just a couple examples.

It should also be pointed out that in many communities, the local NPR affiliate is the only outlet for Classical, Jazz, or Folk music.

Far be it for me to tell you how to spend your charitable dollars. But don't judge a network by one show. Just because "The Simpsons" is good, doesn't mean that all regular Fox programming is good. The same applies here. Don't condemn an entire group of affiliates (amore accurate description than nework in this instance) by one program.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

15. what I really hate is

facts getting in the way of a decent, angry, misbegotten rant. Especially without sufficient caffeine in the mourning.

Gee, thanks.

[Tesha]

17. Our local NPR outlet is just as biased as NPR.

NHPR routinely runs stories slanted to favor Republicans.

WBUR and WGBH down in Boston are better, but when you
give them money, much of your money goes to NPR
whether you like it or not, and your comments to the
station(s) will have no effect whatsoever.

Tesha

[bluerum]

3. Cokie Roberts - conservative water girl and ATC 'personality' is a regular

[flpoljunkie]

4. 'Money honey' Maria Bartiromo is big on this 'uncertainty' lie, as well.

She knowingly spouts this lie at every opportunity.

[rfranklin]

5. I think "blackmail threat" is the proper term for this tactic...

yet it is a bluff because they haven't delivered jobs in the last 30 years of Republican governance.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. NPR news has become impossible to listen to

It is deeply biased toward conservative views, and has virtually gone over the cliff these last few weeks. We routinely switch it off in the morning when either Cokie Roberts or Mara liaison come on. I've also heard similar nonsense from Zarolli, and even from Marketplace's Kye Risdoll, who apparently thinks having two CNBC propagandists discuss an issue constitutes a "balanced" panel of "experts."

[mitchum]

11. Kye Risdoll is their biggest tool (and that's quite an accomplishment)

[Supersedeas]

16. If it is not conservative news, it is artsy personal interest stories--the profit motive is never

challenged.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. You own quotes make your argument ridiculous...

people who actually OWN businesses were interviewed and they said that uncertainty over taxes was ONE ADDITIONAL thing that made them think twice about hiring. Pundits said something else.

Seems more was said by people who worry about their bottom lines about the anticipated bottom line than about taxes, but never let actually listening to what was said get in the way of a good rant trashing NPR.

(You obviously listen to them-- heard anything good from, say, the Diane Rehm show or do you just listen to try to catch them in lies?)

[Teaser]

10. failpost

sorry, the story was utterly unconvincing and the interviewees were sadly partisan.

[Enrique]

12. you're right about NPR

i've heard this preposterous GOP talking point about "uncertainty" dismantled very well elsewhere on NPR. I'm not trashing NPR, but this particular report was total garbage.

OF COURSE these businesses want "certainty". Duh. They would like "certainty" that every single law that affects them adversely be repealed. Normally we don't see reporters going out and interviewing business owners about this. We're seeing it now because the GOP is really stretching to come up with some justification for extending those tax cuts. The only story is that the GOP came up with the "uncertainty" nonsense. It's definitely NOT a story that the nonsense is true.

[pepperbear]

8. "220 restaurants and 14 stores?" small business?

[Teaser]

9. for a repug, Salam showed significant intellectual honesty

was he off his meds?

[Odin2005]

14. Fortunately Minnesota PR is a lot better then then the national crap.