A lot of the discussion here at the In Box has wrestled with these questions: Is public radio liberal? Does NCPR reflect that bias? <\/p>\n
And what does it mean that we rely on government funding for a small portion of our budget?<\/p>\n
All valid questions. Let me wrestle with them, then I’ll look forward to your thoughts below.<\/p>\n
First, I do think public radio is liberal. But only in the sense of the word when used like this: “liberal democracy” or “liberal education.”<\/p>\n
What do I mean? I mean that we try to confront pressing issues in our communities, issues that some individuals and groups would prefer not to talk about.<\/p>\n
If you think it’s ‘liberal’ to acknowledge environmental degradation or poverty or racism, then yes, we’re liberal.<\/p>\n
But once we raise those questions, we do our best to reflect the public debate fairly and honestly.<\/p>\n
That doesn’t mean we always tell “both sides of the story” equally. Sometimes, our research indicates that one side or the other has a far better grasp of the facts.<\/p>\n
A couple of examples: <\/p>\n
Many of the human health claims made against wind farms aren’t supported by independent, credible scientific research. We make that clear in our reports.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the vast majority of qualified experts do believe that climate change is real and triggered by human activity. We also make that clear. <\/p>\n
If and when we find good data that contradicts those facts, we’ll report it promptly.<\/p>\n
Now, it’s also possible for a news organization to show liberal bias by only asking one set of questions. <\/p>\n
If NCPR only asked about the environment, for example, and not the economy — that would reflect a left-leaning slant.<\/p>\n
But anyone reviewing our story lists will find that we regularly probe concerns about burdensome taxes, big and inefficient government, the aging North Country population, etc. <\/p>\n
We’ve led the region’s media outlets in questioning whether an over-reliance on government jobs is dangerous or unsustainable.<\/p>\n
We also regularly feature guests who hold traditional and conservative values. And while we often pose challenging questions to those individuals, we do so respectfully with a goal of illuminating their views for our listeners.<\/p>\n
It’s been suggested by some that we ‘go easy’ on guests from liberal or progressive groups. <\/p>\n
In fact, NCPR’s aggressive reporting has sparked far more anger and protest from left-leaning groups than from groups on the right. <\/p>\n
The bottom line? Pundits on the left and right have worked hard to discredit the idea of a truly independent, unbiased news organization.<\/p>\n
And they’re right in a sense: It is hard to play the neutral party, to offer common ground where everyone feels welcome. We at NCPR make mistakes all the time. <\/p>\n
But the mission here — the compass we consult in every editorial meeting and every script edit — is to be as fair and neutral as we can possibly be.<\/p>\n
Finally, about the money. Yes, NCPR receives a small amount of funding each year from state and Federal grants. To be honest, I’m ambivalent about this fact.<\/p>\n
The money helps us to create great programs and offer valuable services across our enormous broadcast area.<\/p>\n
I happen to believe that government has a mission to foster arts and culture, at the same time that it provides more bread-and-butter services (roads, defense, etc.).<\/p>\n
But in a time of massive budget deficits, I think an open debate over funding for public radio and television should continue. <\/p>\n
And we’ll report on it as fairly and accurately as possible. <\/p>\n
–Brian Mann, NCPR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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