NPR is going downhill

[KeithTalent]

Just read P&N

I actually do, I just never post there. OT has degraded my brain functions enough, getting embroiled in P&N discussions would completely melt it.

KT

 

[Chaotic42]

Absolutely not. In favor of what, additional "news" coverage? That is exactly what kills cable news for me. They simply beat a news story to death in order to fill the air time. Then they fill additional time with a panel of screaming "experts" to yell at each other about the topic. That's what passes for news on all other outlets except NPR.

No.

In favor of a broader range of news topics without crap like the best way to toast a marshmallow (real story) or the rise of feminist writers in Venezuela (real story). How about international stories? More finance and economics? More science news? There are plenty of things going on in the world.

 

[Triumph]

No.

In favor of a broader range of news topics without crap like the best way to toast a marshmallow (real story) or the rise of feminist writers in Venezuela (real story). How about international stories? More finance and economics? More science news? There are plenty of things going on in the world.

Meh, no thanks. They have plenty of that. International news roundup on friday. Marketplace every day at 6 for a half hour. Science friday. Plenty of discussion on those topics all through the day and night around here. I'm fine with occasional marshmallow and feminazi topics. They also have two hours of outdated radio drama shows like Dragnet and Johnny Dollar on around here on Sunday evenings. I find that interesting, should they eliminate it because you don't? Their balance between news, entertainment, and discussion is pretty much spot on as far as I'm concerned. They have to serve a broad market, plenty of people find stories about roasting marshmallows interesting. If you're expecting them to have stories that interest you 100% of the time, well then I don't know what to tell you...

 

[Incorruptible]

Why do you support terrorists?


jesus christ you are such a fucking idiot. get back to P&N you puss-dripping simpleton.

I am the one speaking out against terrorism and radical Islam while you attack me which is typical of terrorists like you.

NPR fired Juan Williams because of the comments that he made and since he was working with Fox News.

 

[rstove02]

I take full blame for the cancellation of "It's All Politics". I have a known track record of discovering shows/series right before cancellations. I came across the blog about three weeks ago while bored surfing around on Roku. That show seemed pretty even handed and straight forward in providing political news and analysis.

All joking aside, it is a shame that it is getting axed this week.

 

[AustinInDallas]

My fav show is Marketplace, and thats not even really NPR.

on a side note, have you seen the salaries of those guys! Some are make 350k per year! Now I know just because its a nonprofit doesnt mean they can pay their people shit, and it takes money to get top talent....yadayadayada but dont these guys feel bad for taking over a quart mill a year and asking for donations? Ira glass has actually taken a pay cut over the last few years

 

[skimple]

lol

What element of NPR exerts even a fraction of the lobbying and influence big business does on our government and laws?

Please see "Hume" thread for multiple pictures of Romney eating Big Bird.

No, there's no political lobbying or influence surrounding PBS or NPR.

Oh no, none at all....

 

[Apathetic]

I don't listen to the show mentioned, but to me the worse loss for NPR is that the guys who did Car Talk retired. IMHO, it was easily the best show on NPR.

I completely agree. It was by far the best thing on NPR.

Dave

 

[OutHouse]

I think this all boils down to rural communities overrun by teabagging dodoheads have been convinced by their corporate handlers that NPR is a commie news network, so the funds are starting to dry up.
__________________

you need a new tinfoil hat.

 

[Chaotic42]

Meh, no thanks. They have plenty of that. International news roundup on friday. Marketplace every day at 6 for a half hour. Science friday. Plenty of discussion on those topics all through the day and night around here. I'm fine with occasional marshmallow and feminazi topics. They also have two hours of outdated radio drama shows like Dragnet and Johnny Dollar on around here on Sunday evenings. I find that interesting, should they eliminate it because you don't? Their balance between news, entertainment, and discussion is pretty much spot on as far as I'm concerned. They have to serve a broad market, plenty of people find stories about roasting marshmallows interesting. If you're expecting them to have stories that interest you 100% of the time, well then I don't know what to tell you...

No, they don't have to eliminate it. They're free to broadcast whatever they wish. I just wish that other stuff weren't on the air during my (relatively small) radio listening hours, that's all. I meant to use the word 'need' as in "TV needs to stop having so many damned reality shows".

 

[UglyCasanova]

Now even the website sucks.

 

[Jeff7]

Now even the website sucks.

Yes, but does it "pop?"



*shudder*

 

[lxskllr]

Now even the website sucks.

I don't like the way everything's Googleized, with grey text on a white background. A lot of sites are doing that, and it's obnoxious.

 

[zinfamous]

I don't like the way everything's Googleized, with grey text on a white background. A lot of sites are doing that, and it's obnoxious.

same. also with the framing, I think most websites are migrating to be tablet friendly, no?

I hate tablets.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Can someone give me a link or article or audio snip link showing how NPR is reporting with a liberal bias? I've always found it to be pretty balanced.

What fuzzy said.

 

[UglyCasanova]

same. also with the framing, I think most websites are migrating to be tablet friendly, no?

I hate tablets.

I'm looking at it on my ipad though, which is what I usually browse on. The prior site looked great on it. The new site looks and loads terribly, so I don't see how its tablet friendly. I love the look of the NY Times site and that is where I generally go anyways. I'll just be writing NPR off the list of sites I stop by frequently unfortunately.

 

[Doppel]

Now even the website sucks.

'grats to NPR for their new blogspot account and more or less using a default template.

This looks bad. Terrible in fact. The old site was fine, this is a major step backwards, maybe so it looks the same on a crappy phone.

It's not quite as bad as cnbc.com's recent redo, which includes a really terrible, just awful font to read.

Fonts are not just a personal thing. Some are demonstratively inferior and I have to think the one on CNBC really was not chosen because it's from a category of proven fonts.

 

[IEC]

NPR is still better than TV/Cable news programming, but it too has suffered from a decrease in quality, a decrease in actual journalism, and an increase in bias and notable absence of stories on certain topics.

Just like the TV media, NPR is becoming more beholden to corporate and political pressures.

I took a few years hiatus from listening to them and it's shocking to me how different it has become in just a few years.

I don't even watch TV any more because I want to throw the remote through it when watching the news and modern "journalism". :bashhead;

 

[IEC]

'grats to NPR for their new blogspot account and more or less using a default template.

This looks bad. Terrible in fact. The old site was fine, this is a major step backwards, maybe so it looks the same on a crappy phone.

It's not quite as bad as cnbc.com's recent redo, which includes a really terrible, just awful font to read.

Fonts are not just a personal thing. Some are demonstratively inferior and I have to think the one on CNBC really was not chosen because it's from a category of proven fonts.

Oh God. That's pretty bad.

 

[UglyCasanova]

LOL at the comments about the redesign.

It looks like their pr or web design girl is taking quite a bit of flack. Turned a quality news site into a Facebook page.

 

[lupi]

I'd be happy with them just doing constant news updates since we have no news stations in the area.

 

[spacejamz]

I carpool with someone who listens to NPR....

Is there a requirement for their reporters to speak in the manner that they do? They seem to talk slower and seem a bit 'stiff' (both males and females)...Very noticable difference versus the reporters/voice personalities of the other radio stations....

 

[lxskllr]

I carpool with someone who listens to NPR....

Is there a requirement for their reporters to speak in the manner that they do? They seem to talk slower and seem a bit 'stiff' (both males and females)...Very noticable difference versus the reporters/voice personalities of the other radio stations....

It's more professional. MSM tries to generate EXCITEMENT!, and to gain market share through personality. Unspecified cues guide thought, and that has no place in news. It's the reporter's job to report, and the listeners to draw conclusions. Otherwise, it's an editorial, and not news.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

Am I the only one in here that thought Talk of the Nation was pretty terrible? They had frequently had some pretty good topics but that was undermined by Neal Conan being a pretty sub-par moderator and that the show had the WORST callers in existence. People would call in with the most leftist and rightist uneducated opinions and statements and it pretty much ruined every show.

 

[Doppel]

I carpool with someone who listens to NPR....

Is there a requirement for their reporters to speak in the manner that they do? They seem to talk slower and seem a bit 'stiff' (both males and females)...Very noticable difference versus the reporters/voice personalities of the other radio stations....

I don find them stiff, but if you google you will find complaints online.

The ones I have are that Lisa Kim--who makes a living talking in great part on the radio--has a major speech impediment.

Also Eleanor Beardsley has the most irritating voice ever. The way she talks is incredibly grating.