Funded entirely by taxpayers, the National Public Radio (NPR), will no longer conduct live interviews with conservatives on the air. It was already difficult for conservatives to speak on NPR, seeing as most interviews were edited or contextualized for left wing listeners in the first place.
It would appear the best idea, when speaking with an opponent that can beat you, is to edit or deny output all together to improve your own stance.
NPR Logo | Photo Credit Wikimedia Commons
Elizabeth Jenson on Contextualizing
The headline reads, “National Public Radio ombudsman/public editor, Elizabeth Jensen, has recommended that the taxpayer-funded radio news service bar future live interviews of conservatives who may have controversial views, following an interview on Nov. 16, 2016 with Breitbart News’ Joel B. Pollak.”
The article itself reads as follows:
“Pollak, who serves as Breitbart’s Senior Editor-at-Large and In-house Counsel, defended its Executive Chairman, Stephen K. Bannon, from false and defamatory claims of antisemitism and “white nationalism.” He also turned the tables, pointing out that NPR has “racist programming,” including a story that called the 2016 election results “nostalgia for a whiter America.”
NPR listeners were apparently outraged that anyone from Breitbart News had been given an opportunity to defend the website and its chairman.
Radio | Photo Credit UnSplash
Context and the Left Wing
In her response, “Listeners: Two Recent Interviews Are “Normalizing Hate Speech,” Jensen concluded that the live format had allowed Pollak to get the better of host Steve Inskeep.
She suggested that future interviews be taped. “In addition, in my opinion, these interviews should not be done live. Inskeep is an excellent live interviewer, but live interviews are difficult, especially when there is limited time. A little contextualizing never hurts.”
When reading between the lines, she admits to “contextualizing” and refers to “these interviews.” She never says conservatives, but it’s clear what she means. It’s doubtful that they will stop all live political interviews, so they must mean right wing.
If they actually follow through, it would be beneficial for Congress to cut funding for NPR all together, unless they show all sides without context editing or such other nonsense. The left wing can continue to show bias, but we should not stand for doing on on the taxpayer’s dollar.
