Making a Case for NPR

Granted, the person making the points about NPR’s virtues in this Wall Street Journal Op-Ed piece is Steve Inskeep, who is himself a host of NPR’s “Morning Edition.” But he brings in some data about who’s actually tuning in that might surprise longtime listeners as well as detractors. –KA

Steve Inskeep in The Wall Street Journal:

With those values in mind, let’s consider the fundamental question: the accusation of “liberal bias” at NPR, which drives many critics calling to eliminate its federal funding. It’s not my job as a reporter to address the funding question. But I can point out that the recent tempests over “perceived bias” have nothing to do with what NPR puts on the air.

The facts show that NPR attracts a politically diverse audience of 33.7 million weekly listeners to its member stations on-air. In surveys by GfK MRI, most listeners consistently identify themselves as “middle of the road” or “conservative.” Millions of conservatives choose NPR, even with powerful conservative alternatives on the radio.

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