I think it’s safe to say that Uri Berliner exposing NPR’s woke left bias and emphasis on DEI in his Free Press essay is going to have serious repercussions for the purported news network for the foreseeable future, both in terms of reputation and possibly even funding.
When last we left you, Berliner, a longtime editor and reporter for NPR, had resigned just a day after receiving a five-day suspension without pay along with an employment termination threat, which he was told was for writing for another publication without first getting approval from NPR’s higher-ups.
Here’s what he wrote in his resignation letter:
“I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years. I don’t support calls to defund NPR. I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay.”
Two hours after he shared his resignation notice on Twitter, news broke that 50 NPR staffers had sent a letter to CEO Katherine Maher and Editor-in-Chief Edith Chapin pushing for a more forceful response to Berliner’s article because they felt their supposed journalistic creds had been impugned. Further, they wanted to know why their ideas for change had allegedly gotten little attention while Berliner’s claims had sparked immediate reactions at the network:
“We’re writing to urge stronger support for staff who have had their journalistic expertise called into question by one of their own in a public forum,” read the letter, which New York Times reporter Ben Mullin posted to X. “We also urge more transparency regarding the consequences of making unauthorized public comments that seek to change NPR’s editorial direction.”
“[T]here are still unanswered questions about how NPR staff are expected to conduct themselves,” it continued. “What and who are our standards for? Are we all being held to the same scrutiny? And will we all be going forward?”[…]”Staff, many from marginalized backgrounds, have pushed for internal policy changes through mechanisms like the DEI accountability committee, sharing of affinity group guidelines, and an ad-hoc content review group,” the letter said.
“Our impression is that an unauthorized public comment like this has attracted more attention and immediate reaction from leadership than those longstanding efforts,” they also wrote, while adding this demand later in the letter:
“[NPR should] Publicly and directly call out the piece’s factual inaccuracies and elisions. (Others, including NPR staff, have already done so, but hearing it come from NPR management would hold even greater weight.)”
The full letter is below:
Though the letter reportedly did not contain the names of those who agreed with the sentiments expressed, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans admitted he was one of the ones who signed on to the letter, declaring without evidence that Berliner’s claims were false:
Some, including veteran journalist Brit Hume, opined that the letter essentially confirmed Berliner’s arguments:
Townhall.com Political Editor Guy Benson pointed to the red flags in the letter, including the “DEI accountability committee,” as more evidence as to why NPR should once and for all be defunded:
Endorsed.
— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —
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