The kindest word I can come up with to describe NPR's response to Musk's visceral demonstration of contempt is -- feeble.
But remember, NPR did more than almost any other major news organization to normalize extremism after the 2016 election, and is still offering consistently false balance in its political coverage.
I would be glad to help NPR migrate its journalism -- and its followers -- to Mastodon. And there are many others who'd be happy to help.
@dangillmor Totally agree. Even the PBS NewsHour found its voice and its spine during the Trump years. NPR was consistently the most timid.
@dankennedy_nu I didn't see much evidence of that in watching News Hour. But I'll take your word for it.
@dangillmor Yamiche Alcindor and Lisa Desjardins were staunch during the worst of it, and even Judy Woodruff got with the program. I’m afraid that the new co-anchors have Jim Lehrer implants in their brains, though.
@dangillmor
I think it was the '90s when Repubs wanted to completely defund public broadcasting till they realized that they controlled the process. So began the imagined 'left' (truth oriented) purging. Since then gov funding has almost completely disappeared (fund drives?) and the right lean remained. But at this point heel clicking goose stepping is required. Musk natch.
@dangillmor I’d be interested in your thoughts about the impact of NPR leaving Twitter. Do you think either Twitter or NPR would be measurably hurt if the latter went to Mastodon instead and left Twitter? Or would it just be an opportunity for NPR to free itself from the whims if Musk?
@jaredkalt I think NPR thinks it would hurt them, which is a reflection of the hold Twitter still has on our too-timid news organizations.
can't NPR organize others to join them? they all figure out how to do that dumb dinner together every year.
@dangillmor It’s funny how similar Musk’s imposition of a label is to Russia’s demand that news agencies it doesn’t like publish disclaimers declaring themselves “foreign agents.”
Of course, in Russia, news agencies must comply because it’s the law. By sticking around on Twitter despite the label, NPR is essentially complying by choice.
@dangillmor especially in the last year, they took a hard right. Not easy for me to defend them, even against demented accusations from trumpish troll.
@dangillmor I agree with you. I used to listen to NPR. I completely stopped after 2016. It started in the months leading up to the election and took off after the election. I don’t care about NPR at all anymore.
@dangillmor I read NPR daily. I didn't catch false balance previously. I see it in NYT. Concerned. But hope they accept your offer. #mastodon
@dangillmor What would you have NPR do? Sink to the same level of lies and sleeze as Elon Musk, Trump, and MAGAts?
This is our post-truth era. We have one group who consume any lies that feed into their white grievance narratives, another group who is more interested in truth, and significant portion of the remainder who just don't particularly care and don't know who they'll vote for.
@elight For starters, I would have them not support their sleaze.
@dangillmor What sleaze is on NPR?
I have no kind words for NPR. They've been carrying water for the Republicans since Reagan.
I have no desire to see their garbage on my Mastodon. They can stay on the hell-site. That's where they deserve to be.