National Public Radio is facing backlash from the right-wing media after NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner criticized the outlet, portraying it as a institution consumed by wokism. President Donald Trump and Fox News have specifically targeted Berliner’s piece, demanding that NPR be stripped of government funding. This has led to accusations of NPR being a liberal propaganda mouthpiece, with right-wing outlets and personalities labeling Berliner as a whistleblower exposing a sinister operation aimed at indoctrinating Americans.
Berliner’s piece did highlight some valid complaints the right has had about NPR, including coverage of “Russiagate,” the lab-leak theory for Covid-19, and the New York Post’s Hunter Biden story. He suggested that NPR has lost America’s trust by embracing a progressive worldview and rejecting viewpoint diversity. However, despite criticism, Berliner did not advocate for defunding the broadcaster as a solution. He also refuted Trump’s characterization of NPR as a “liberal disinformation machine,” stating that defunding is not the answer.
While Berliner’s essay validated some complaints from the right, it failed to address the impact of Trump’s war on media organizations and the public’s trust in newsrooms, including NPR. Instead of focusing on the broader context of mistrust in the media, Berliner chose to emphasize specific examples of bias within NPR’s coverage. This omission led to questions about the validity of his sweeping conclusions and the impact his essay had on conservative audiences.
NPR’s response to Berliner’s piece has been somewhat muted, with Editor-In-Chief Edith Chapin pushing back against his characterizations of the outlet. Chapin stated that NPR management disagrees with Berliner’s assessment of the quality of journalism and the integrity of newsroom processes. However, NPR remained silent in response to attacks on the outlet and questions regarding how staffers could collaborate with Berliner after his critical essay was published.
Berliner declined to comment on concerns that he could no longer be trusted by colleagues, but he confirmed that he is still employed by NPR. The controversial nature of his essay and the backlash it has generated from the right-wing media have highlighted the challenges faced by public broadcasters in maintaining trust and credibility in a polarized media landscape. Regardless of the intentions behind Berliner’s piece, its impact has not led to increased trust from conservatives, but rather heightened scrutiny and criticism of NPR’s journalistic practices by right-wing outlets and personalities.
