i believe essay npr

Listen... a sound collage from This I Believe from NPR

About this i believe.

This I Believe was an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, are archived online in perpetuity. Selected essays aired on National Public Radio from 2005 to 2009, and were collected in a New York Times bestselling book; further collections of NPR-aired essays were also published.

Atlantic Public Media served as the independent production team for the long-running and acclaimed NPR series, This I Believe .

Jay Allison was the curator. Viki Merrick was editor. The series also produced best-selling books which are still used in schools and colleges today.

Listen... Eboo Patel on This I Believe

In 2005 and 2006, USA Weekend invited its readers to participate in the project and published selected essays from their readers. Numerous local public radio stations, newspapers, and magazines have featured essays from citizens in their communities. In 2008 Atlantic Public Media helped Madhu Acharya create a Nepali version of This I Believe .

The series spawned an outreach structure to bring this program to the attention of schools and other community groups, and the books have become popular with “one book, one community” projects.

The project was based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

Listen... Dennis Downey on This I Believe

Social Networks

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

32 “This I Believe” Essay

The history of ‘this i believe’.

by Tanya Matthews

This I Believe is an exciting media project that invites individuals from all walks of life to write about and discuss the core beliefs that guide their daily lives. They share these statements in weekly broadcasts on NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered .

The series is based on the 1950’s radio program This I Believe , hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. Each day, some 39-million Americans gathered by their radios to hear compelling essays from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller and Harry Truman as well as corporate leaders, cab drivers, scientists and secretaries — anyone able to distill into a few minutes the guiding principles by which they lived. Their words brought comfort and inspiration to a country worried about the Cold War, McCarthyism and racial division.

Eventually, the radio series became a cultural phenomenon. Eighty-five leading newspapers printed a weekly column based on This I Believe . A collection of essays published in 1952 sold 300,000 copies — second only to the Bible that year. The series was translated and broadcast around the globe on the Voice of America. A book of essays translated into Arabic sold 30,000 copies in just three days.

[The NPR series This I Believe can be read and heard here . In addition, the website and organization This I Believe houses thousands of essays written by famous people, such as the ones mentioned above, and everyday people like you and me.]

As a college student in 2020, you are faced with turbulent politics, socioeconomic issues, and ethical dilemmas that will challenge you to take a stand and contribute to the local, national, and global conversation around you. The purpose of this writing task is not to persuade you to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, it is to encourage you to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from your own. Fifty years ago, Edward R. Murrow’s project struck such a chord with millions of Americans. It can do so again today…with you.

Video Resources for Generating Ideas

Dan gediman on writing a “this i believe essay”.

Read Cecelia Munoz’s essay “Getting Angry Can Be a Good Thing” referred to in the previous video here .

“This I Believe” Essay with Animation

“This I Believe” Essay Ideas

Prewriting Activity

1) analyze others’ statements.

Consider the following statements, written in response to the question What Have You Learned About Life? Highlight any sentences that resonate with you. Talk about them with a partner or group, explaining why. 1. I’ve learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back. – Age 9 2. I’ve learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up. – Age 14 3. I’ve learned that although it’s hard to admit it, I’m secretly glad my parents are strict with me. – Age 15 4. I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. – Age 39 5. I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don’t know how to show it. – Age 42 6. I’ve learned that you can make someone’s day by simply sending them a little note. – Age 44 7. I’ve learned that the greater a person’s sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast blame on others. – Age 46 8. I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. – Age 48 9. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die. – Age 53 10. I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. – Age 58 11. I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. – Age 62 12. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision. – Age 66 13. I’ve learned that it pays to believe in miracles. And to tell the truth, I’ve seen several. – Age 75 14. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. – Age 82 15. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch—holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. – Age 85 16. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. – Age 92

2) Compose Your Own Statement

Write down a sentence that expresses what YOU have learned about life. Maybe it is similar to one of the statements above; maybe it’s completely different. Whatever it is, write it down.

3) Freewrit e

Now free-write about your sentence. Include at least two examples / experiences that you have had that support why you think this way.

Personal Statement/Philosophy: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why do you believe in this statement? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Name two experiences that you had that would support the statement: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does this say about yourself or your personality? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ After your life experience, how have you come to the conclusion that this should be your statement? How have your beliefs changed, if at all? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How has the event effected your relationship with a person, place, or object? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How does your statement apply to you today? (How you view yourself & society) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SAMPLE STUDENT ESSAYS

Sample #1: america’s beauty is in its diversity.

written by Alaa El-Saad, high school student, as heard on NPR’s Tell Me More (2009)

America is built on the idea of freedom, and there is no exception for Muslim women. I believe in the freedom of religion and speech. But mostly, I believe it’s OK to be different, and to stand up for who and what you are. So I believe in wearing the hijab.

The hijab is a religious head covering, like a scarf. I am Muslim and keeping my head covered is a sign of maturity and respect toward my religion and to Allah’s will. To be honest, I also like to wear it to be different. I don’t usually like to do what everyone else is doing. I want to be an individual, not just part of the crowd. But when I first wore it, I was also afraid of the reaction that I’d get at school.

I decided on my own that sixth grade was the time I should start wearing the hijab. I was scared about what the kids would say or even do to me. I thought they might make fun of me, or even be scared of me and pull off my headscarf. Kids at that age usually like to be all the same, and there’s little or no acceptance for being different.

On the first day of school, I put all those negative thoughts behind my back and walked in with my head held high. I was holding my breath a little, but inside I was also proud to be a Muslim, proud to be wearing the hijab, proud to be different.

I was wrong about everything I thought the kids would say or even do to me. I actually met a lot of people because of wearing my head covering. Most of the kids would come and ask me questions—respectfully—about the hijab, and why I wore it.

I did hear some kid was making fun of me, but there was one girl—she wasn’t even in my class, we never really talked much—and she stood up for me, and I wasn’t even there! I made a lot of new friends that year, friends that I still have until this very day, five years later.

Yes, I’m different, but everyone is different here, in one way or another. This is the beauty of America. I believe in what America is built on: all different religions, races and beliefs. Different everything.

Sample #2: The Essentials to Happiness

written by Alexxandra Schuman, high school student, as heard on The Bob Edwards Show (2013)

As a child, I was generally happy; singing and dancing to my favorite songs; smiling and laughing with my friends and family. But as far back as second grade, I noticed a “darkness,” about me. I didn’t enjoy engaging in many things. I didn’t relate to my peers in elementary school because they appeared so happy, and I didn’t have that ability to achieve happiness so easily.

In middle school things in my life began to get even worse. I began withdrawing from everything I once enjoyed; swimming, tennis, family. I hated going to sleep knowing I had to wake up to another day. I was always tired. Everything was horrible. Finally, midway through eighth grade, I was told I had a chemical imbalance; diagnosed with clinical depression and put on medication. It took months for me to feel the effects of the medication.

When I began to feel happy again, is when I realized that I had to take the responsibility for getting better myself, rather than relying on medication and therapy alone. Aristotle said, “To live happily is an inward power of the soul,” and I believe that this quote describes what I had to do to achieve happiness. Happiness is a journey. Everyone seems to need different things to be happy. But I believe people are blinded from what truly makes one happy.

Growing up, we’re encouraged to be successful in life; but how is success defined? Success and happiness are imagined now as having a lot of money. It is so untrue. Recently I went to Costa Rica and visited the small town of El Roble. I spent the day with a nine-year old girl named Marilyn. She took me to her house to meet her parents. It was obvious that they were not rich; living in a small house with seven children. The house was cluttered but full of life. Those who have decided that success and happiness comes from having money and a big house would be appalled at how utterly happy this family from El Roble is. People say that seeing things like that make you appreciate what you have, but for me, it made me envy them for being so happy without all the things I have.

“The essentials to happiness are something to love, something to do, and something to hope for,” a quote from William Blake sums up what I believe people need to realize to be truly happy in life. People need love; I feel they need their family and their friends more than anything in the world. People need work to do, something to make them feel they are making a difference in the world. People need to know that more good is to come in the future, so they continue to live for “now” instead of constantly worrying about the bad that could come. And most importantly people need to know that happiness is not something that happens overnight. Love and hope is happiness.

Sample #3: Find a Good Frog

written by Delia Motavalli, high school student, as heard on The Bob Edwards Show (2013)

I believe in finding a good frog. It seems that all throughout childhood, we are taught to look for a happily ever after. “And they all lived happily ever after”; isn’t that the conclusion to many children’s films? When I was a kid I always thought of that as magical; but now really it just seems unrealistic. And it teaches us that what we want is a fairytale like they have in the storybooks. We all want to be Cinderella who gets swept off her feet by the hot prince; we want to live in the royal castle, right? But I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing for us to seek. Now I’m not saying I believe in being pessimistic, but I do believe in being realistic; it’s something I got from my mom.

My mother and I always have our best conversations in the rain. We sit in the car, neither of us wanting to brave the rain to get to the house. So we sit. We watch droplets race down the windshield, listen to the rain strike the roof of her little blue Honda, and feel the heater on full-blast rushing at our feet (just the way we like it). I don’t know why, but sitting in the car, we always talk more than normal. There was one rainy day when my mom told me something that is going to stick with me forever. Earlier that day she and my dad had been arguing about something; I can’t remember what. So she said, “Don’t spend your life looking for Prince Charming. Instead, find yourself a really good frog.”

At the time, I found this thought really disheartening. Who wants to think that you’ll never find Prince Charming? You’ll never get to be Cinderella? Another thought that struck my mind: if my mom says there’s no Prince Charming, then what’s my dad? A frog? I asked her, and she replied with, “Of course! If he were Prince Charming, he wouldn’t snore, would be able to cook, and we would never argue. But you know what? He’s a damn good frog.” Of course, being young, I didn’t think of the meaning behind what she was saying. I was too busy thinking of it literally, visualizing my mom as a princess and my dad in frog form.

But a few years later, I understand the value of my mom’s words. You can’t expect everything to be perfect. Let’s be completely honest; if you wait your whole life for your prince with flowing hair, statuesque features, and a white horse, you’re going to be lonely. I think that the point of finding a good frog is you accept something that’s great, flaws and all. It’s so easy to be picky. You can find the one tiny thing that’s wrong, and that one tiny thing is what you can’t get your mind off of. But in life, we can’t afford to wait years in vain for perfection. So I think that a good frog, an amazing frog, the best frog you can find is what we’re really looking for in this world. Don’t laze through life waiting for a happily ever after, because I don’t think you’ll be very happy with the outcome.

Examples from the ‘This I Believe’ Website

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude by Sarah Adams

They Lived Their Faith by Charles Henry Parrish

Returning to What’s Natural by Amelia Baxter-Stoltzfus

The Birthright of Human Dignity by Will Thomas

Remembering All The Boys by Elvia Bautista

I Am Still The Greatest by Muhammad Ali

A Goal Of Service To Humankind by Anthony Fauci

My Life Is Better by Abraham

Give Me a Waffle by Brenda

The Little Things by Sophie Crossley

You can also browse thousands more This I Believe essays by theme .

Prefer to Listen to Get Inspiration?

Check out This I Believe’s Podcast Series

4) Drafting

Assignment guidelines + suggestions and tips for drafting.

1. While the examples you’ve been given can serve as a model, it is essential that each of you write about a personal belief or philosophy that you feel strongly about. 2. Tell a story. Personal experiences are the corner stone of a good essay. Your story doesn’t have to be a heart breaker or even a major event, but it must be something that has affected how you think, feel, and act. List your personal experiences that you intend to use as evidence below: 3. Be concise. Avoid repetition. This essay should be between 500 – 650 words. When read aloud, it should take roughly four minutes. 4. Name your belief. It is essential that you can name your belief in a sentence or two. Focus on one belief only. This is your thesis. Write it here: 5. Be positive. Avoid preaching or persuading. You aren’t trying to change the way others think or act. Write about what you believe, not what you don’t believe. 6. Use the first person. Speak for yourself. Avoid using we or you. 7. Let your voice shine. Use language that sounds like you. Read it aloud as your revise. Keep making changes until your essay sounds like you and captures the essence of your belief.

5) Peer Review

Once you have written your first draft, arrange for your essay to be edited by a peer, using the following Peer-Editing Checklist: Writer’s Name: ________________________________________________ Peer Editor’s Name: ________________________________________________ Use your PENCIL or PEN (NOT red or green) to make corrections. Remember, this essay is a work in progress. You are not done writing! Look for ways to improve what you’ve already written. Tick each step if it has been completed. _____ 1. Read the paper backwards, one sentence at a time. Check for spelling errors. Use a dictionary, a friend, or a spell checker to find the correct spelling. _____ 2. Check for capitalized proper nouns and the first word of each sentence. _____ 3. Skip a line between each paragraph. _____ 4. Every sentence should have end punctuation. _____ 5. Check commas. Are they only used for compound sentences, a list of items, an introductory word or phrase, direct address, setting off interruptions, separating adjectives, or in dates? Do you need to add commas? Make sure you do not have commas separating complete sentences (i.e. comma splice errors that create run-on sentences). _____ 6. Apostrophes are used only for contractions and to show ownership. _____ 7. The use of more complex punctuation (dashes, hyphens, semi-colons, parentheses, etc.) is done correctly. _____ 8. Have you used commonly mixed pairs of words correctly? Check these: they’re/their/there, your/you’re, it’s/its, a/an, to/too/two, are/our/hour, and others. _____ 9. Read the paper backwards one sentence at a time. Check for sentence fragments and run-ons and correct them. _____ 10. Did you stay in present tense (such as is, am, do, take, know, etc.) or past tense (such as was, were, did, took, knew, etc.) throughout the entire essay? _____ 11. Did you stay in first person (I, me, my, we, us, our) or third person (he, him, she, her, they, them, their) throughout the entire essay? _____ 12. Was there adequate use of specific details and sensory details? Were the details clear and relevant to the statement? _____ 13. Is the overall purpose/philosophy clear? _____ 14. Does the conclusion make you go, “Wow!” “Cool!” “I never thought about it that way,” or any other similar reaction? Other suggestions for the overall content of the piece: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

possible grading rubric for This I Believe essay

This I Believe by Tanya Matthews is licensed by CC-BY-SA

“This I Believe” Essay Copyright © 2020 by Liza Long; Amy Minervini; and Joel Gladd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Skip to main content
Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

The Future Of 'This I Believe'

A note from dan gediman, executive producer.

Over the past few months, since we announced that our weekly essay series on NPR would come to an end in April, there has been some concern on the part of listeners as to why we have ended the NPR series. First of all, I want to stress that while the NPR series has concluded, our international essay project, and This I Believe Inc., the organization that produces it, live on. You can visit our Web site, www.thisibelieve.org , to read the tens of thousands of essays that have been submitted by the public, write one of your own, download our educational curricula, and sign up for our weekly podcast and newsletter, which will continue indefinitely.

In early 2008, when we began discussions with NPR about a fourth year of "This I Believe" on its news programs, we made it clear — and NPR concurred — that this would be our last year. The series was originally envisioned to be on the air for only one year. Due to tremendous listener response, we were able to continue for three additional years, for which we are enormously grateful. However, after four years and more than 200 essays, we feel the time is right for the series to come to a close.

In ending the series, several people asked if it was due to a lack of funding. Like most everyone in public broadcasting, and in the rest of the world for that matter, This I Believe Inc., has been affected by the economic crisis and has needed to scale back some of its activities. We have indeed lost major funding in the past year that has not yet been replaced. However, that was not what motivated us to end the series on NPR.

We at This I Believe Inc. are committed to the future of the "This I Believe" essay-writing project. Our collaboration with NPR has been tremendously fruitful, and we are eternally grateful to the staff of NPR for giving us our start.

And now we are ready to do other things. This May, we begin broadcasts on Bob Edwards Weekend, which will feature weekly segments built around some of the essays from Edward R. Murrow's original 1950s version of "This I Believe." We will continue to publish books and CDs anthologizing some of the best essays that have been submitted to us. And we will continue to work with local radio stations, newspapers, schools, libraries and other community organizations that are interested in organizing events and other activities. You can contact us on our Web site if you wish to learn more.

So as we make this transition, our larger mission remains: We are dedicated to engaging America — and the world — in the exercise of writing one's core beliefs and sharing them with one's neighbors, friends and family so we may understand one another better. We hope you will join us.

Dan Gediman Executive Producer This I Believe Inc.

This I Believe Illinois is NPR Illinois' annual essay program for Illinois high school seniors. An expression of where their minds are as they prepare to enter the adult world.

Thank you to all who submitted to the Fall 2023 This I Believe Essay Program! Registration and details for Meet the Authors at the link below. Please contact Bea Bonner at [email protected] for any questions.

Special thank you to our sponsors: - Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum - BLH Computers - Illinois Times - Mary Beth & Harvey M. Stephens - Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise

Important Dates and Deadlines Writing Guidelines Meet the Authors 2023

This I Believe Essay Program Meet the Authors

The Publicity Hound

Tips, Tricks & Tools for Free Publicity

April 4, 2006 by Joan Stewart

NPR’s ‘This I Believe’ wants essays about your core values

If you’re struggling to come up with a story idea, or your pitches keep bombing, and you live in the U.S., this tip is for you.

National Public Radio has a new feature called “This I Believe,” a national project that invites you to write about your core beliefs. The personal statements from listeners air each Monday on “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”

Is this great publicity or what?

By inviting Americans from all walks of life to participate, series producers Dan Gediman and Jay Allison hope to create a picture of the American spirit in all its rich complexity.

“This I Believe” is based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. In spite of the fear of atomic warfare, increasing consumerism and loss of spiritual values, the essayists on Murrow’s series expressed tremendous hope.

Each day, millions of Americans gathered by their radios to hear compelling essays from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller and Harry Truman as well as corporate leaders, cab drivers, scientists and secretaries–anyone able to distill into a few minutes the guiding principles by which they lived. Their words brought comfort and inspiration to a country worried about the Cold War, McCarthyism and racial division.

Allison and Gediman say their goal is not to persuade Americans to agree on the same beliefs. Rather, they hope to encourage people to begin the much more difficult task of developing respect for beliefs different from their own.

“We hear a country moving toward more equality among the races and between genders,” says Gediman. “We hear parents writing essays that are letters to their newborn children expressing the hopes and dreams they have for them. And we hear the stories of faith that guide people in their daily experiences.”

Thanks to Publicity Hound Leslie Paladino of Kregel Publications in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for alerting us to this great publicity op. You can submit an essay here .

Book publcist Lissa Warren says NPR’s producers, editors, reporters and hosts are always on the lookout for new stories, compelling guests and fresh ideas. But navigating the NPR labyrinth can be a nightmare if you don’t know what you’re doing. Lissa, who was my guest during a teleseminar called “How to Get Booked on National Public Radio,” has placed more than 100 of her clients on NPR shows and says the best place to start doing your research is at the NPR website to see which shows are the best fit for you.

About Joan Stewart

Publicity expert Joan Stewart, a PR mentor aka The Publicity Hound, works with small business owners who need free publicity to promote their expertise. She shows you how to establish your credibility, enhance your reputation, position yourself as an expert, and sell more products and services. To receive her free DIY publicity tips twice a week, subscribe here. See all the ways you can work with Joan . Or contact her and ask a burning question about PR, self-promotion or social media.

{ 4 Responses }

April 5, 2006 at 8:46 pm

There’s a lot more to NPR’s “This I Believe” situation than has been covered. I am not a lawyer, but if I understand the TIB contract correctly, NPR can hold the essay for up to two years. On Freelance Success, a forum for writers, there was great debate about whether NPR could hold the essay captive for that long or whether the author can resell the essay during that time. As I understand the opinions expressed on that board, authors get to keep keep the copyright but whether they can use the essay elsewhere while NPR holds onto it is a legally murky issue.

In addition, if I understand the situation correctly, NPR can use the essay any number of ways but only pay for it once. If that situation is indeed the case, this kind of lowballing rights grab is something fairly typical in the media business, where authors are frequently told that nobody else has complained about such a contract. This line is one we’ve all heard way too many times to believe a particle of it. In my nearly 30 years in the writing field, I myself have heard publishers and editors use that line so often that if I had a dime for every occasion,I could buy out Donald Trump.

The point is that anybody offering similar contracts, often has to pay only once – if ever – then can kiss off ever sending another check to the author for that piece again, no matter how many times or how many ways the publisher uses that piece of writing, and no matter how many profits cascade into the publisher’s coffers year after year after year.

Such a situation, while common, is, in my view and that of many writers, gross exploitation.

In addition, that NPR would force many authors to wait up to two years to be told the fate of their submission is, in my view, unconscionable, especially if the piece is held in legal limbo.

The holdup, while not, in my opinion, justifiable, may be at least explicable: There are a lot of essays. For that reason, TIB authors shouldn’t hold their breath waiting to hear their finely wrought golden words intoned over the air. At last count, 10,000 essays had been submitted, with the number continuing to rise higher than Hurricane Katrina-driven flood waters lapping against a New Orleans levee.

In short, before expending a lot of energy on writing a “This I Believe” essay, authors and other folks might consider finding writing outlets which treat their efforts with more decency and where the odds of getting the money and publicity they want are significantly better than 10,000 to one.

David Kohn award-winning co-author, ghost writer, editor 954-429-937

April 12, 2006 at 12:14 am

Joan 1. Per your comments and those above on “This I Believe,” Ive had two friends (former journalists) contribute essays, have them held up for over a year, then used by NPR, but not notified when they were. They found out from others who heard them.

2. Consider adding FeedBlitz to your options for getting blog updates. I’ve found that it is extremely user-friendly )no I have no business relationship wit hthe service)

April 12, 2006 at 4:56 am

As Cory Doctorow (www.craphound.com) has said, it’s better to worry about obscurity than being ripped off. NPR has a broad reach, and getting their “endorsement” is valuable. I’d love to have the problem of NPR repeatedly using an article that I’d written for them. It’s not about what *they* make from it, it’s what exposure my business receives.

April 12, 2006 at 12:16 am

When you write or record an audio program, you hold the copyright. If you are willing to sell off all, or many, of the rights to that piece, that’s your choice. Rather than worry about being ripped off by NPR’s “This I Believe” program, may I suggest you agree to their terms and just write different essays for different markets.

For example, if you strongly believe that reading cartoons is good, or bad, I’m pretty sure you could talk about that topic for an hour! So, let NPR have their 2 minutes, while you go on and do 29 other similar-but-different segments on the same topic for other outlets like http://www.ezinearticles.com .

Find a way to turn NPR’s less than generous offer to your advantage.

Rodney Robbins is a novelist and cartoonist. Learn more about him at http://www.Rodneys52Ways.com .

JONATHAN TURLEY

Npr editor blasts the public-funded company for political bias and activism.

Beliner details how NPR, like many media outlets, became openly activist after the election of Donald Trump to the point that the company now employs 87 registered Democrats in editorial positions but not a single Republican in its Washington, DC, headquarters.

Berliner says that he was rebuffed in seeking a modicum of balance in the coverage about the coronavirus “lab leak theory,” the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Hunter Biden’s laptop, and the 2016 Russia hoax.

As discussed on this blog, NPR repeated false stories like the claims from the Lafayette Park riot . Berliner gives an account that is strikingly familiar for many of us who have raised the purging of conservative or libertarian voices from our faculties in higher education:

“So on May 3, 2021, I presented the findings at an all-hands editorial staff meeting. When I suggested we had a diversity problem with a score of 87 Democrats and zero Republicans, the response wasn’t hostile. It was worse. It was met with profound indifference. I got a few messages from surprised, curious colleagues. But the messages were of the “oh wow, that’s weird” variety, as if the lopsided tally was a random anomaly rather than a critical failure of our diversity North Star. In a follow-up email exchange, a top NPR news executive told me that she had been “skewered” for bringing up diversity of thought when she arrived at NPR. So, she said, “I want to be careful how we discuss this publicly.” For years, I have been persistent. When I believe our coverage has gone off the rails, I have written regular emails to top news leaders, sometimes even having one-on-one sessions with them. On March 10, 2022, I wrote to a top news executive about the numerous times we described the controversial education bill in Florida as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill when it didn’t even use the word gay . I pushed to set the record straight, and wrote another time to ask why we keep using that word that many Hispanics hate— Latinx . On March 31, 2022, I was invited to a managers’ meeting to present my observations”

Former NPR analyst Juan Williams stated in an interview this week that, as a strong liberal voice (now at Fox), he found the same bias at NPR. Williams was fired by NPR as this shift seemed to go into high gear toward greater intolerance for opposing views.

Despite these criticisms, NPR has doubled down on its activism. For example, when it came time to select a new CEO, NPR could have tacked to the center to address the growing criticism. Instead, the new CEO became instant news over social media postings that she deleted before the recent announcement of her selection. Katherine Maher is the former CEO of Wikipedia and sought to remove controversial postings on subjects ranging from looters to Trump. Those deleted postings included a 2018 declaration that “Donald Trump is a racist” and a variety of race-based commentary. They also included a statement that appeared to excuse looting.

NPR has abandoned core policies on neutrality as its newsroom has become more activist and strident. For example, NPR declared that it would allow employees to participate in political protests when the editors believe the causes advance the “freedom and dignity of human beings.”

The rule itself shows how impressionistic and unprofessional media has become in the woke era. NPR does not try to define what causes constitute advocacy for the “freedom and dignity of human beings.” How about climate change and environmental protection? Would it be prohibited to protest for a forest but okay if it is framed as “environmental justice”?

NPR seems to intentionally keep such questions vague while only citing such good causes as Black Lives Matter and gay rights:

“Is it OK to march in a demonstration and say, ‘Black lives matter’? What about a Pride parade? In theory, the answer today is, “Yes.” But in practice, NPR journalists will have to discuss specific decisions with their bosses, who in turn will have to ask a lot of questions.”

So the editors will have the power to choose between acceptable and unacceptable causes.

The bias seemed to snowball into a type of willful blindness in the coverage of the outlet, which is supported by federal funds.

After the New York Post first reported on Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020, NPR declared that it would not cover the story. It actually issued a statement that seemed to proudly refuse to pursue the story, which was found to be legitimate:

“We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions.”

Berliner’s account is reminiscent of the recent disclosures from within the New York Times. Former editors have described that same open intolerance for opposing views and a refusal to balance coverage.

Former New York Times editorial page editor James Bennet has finally spoken publicly about his role in one of the most disgraceful chapters in American journalism: the Times’ cringing apology for running a 2020 column by Sen. Tom Cotton . Bennet said publisher AG Sulzberger “set me on fire and threw me in the garbage” to appease the mob.

Former New York Times editor Adam Rubenstein also wrote a lengthy essay at The Atlantic that pulled back the curtain on the newspaper and its alleged bias in its coverage. The essay follows similar pieces from former editors and writers that range from Bari Weiss to his former colleague James Bennet . The essay describes a similar work environment where even his passing reference to liking Chick-Fil-A sandwiches led to a condemnation of shocked colleagues.

None of this is likely to change the culture at NPR any more than such discussions have changed faculties in higher education. Raising the virtual elimination of conservative or Republican voices on faculties is met by the same forced expressions of disbelief. While mild concern is expressed, it is often over the “perception” of those of us who view universities as intolerant or orthodox.

Of course, there remains the question of why the public should give huge amounts of money to a media outlet that is so politically biased. News outlets have every right to pursue such political agendas, but none but NPR claim public support, including from half of the country that embraces the viewpoints that it routinely omits from its airways.

For those interested in what might turn out to be the imminent onset of World War III, RT — Russia Today (which Turley troll UpstateFarmer has never heard of — LOL)— is reporting the likelihood of an Iranian response to Israel having killed a couple of Iranian generals at the Iranian Consulate in Syria:

“Iran strike on Israel ‘imminent’ – media” https://www.rt.com/news/595715-iran-israel-imminent-strike/

This is apparently information originating at Bloomberg News, but since one needs a paid account to read Bloomberg News (because lord knows Michael Bloomberg doesn’t already have enough money), the next best thing is RT’s FREE reporting of what Bloomberg is reporting.

Why is our government made up of 100% a’h0les? Couldn’t we get maybe 5% good people? But no, with the Biden administration it’s wall to wall a’h0les. As libs like to say, no exceptions.

https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1778112068622721172

The Interview With Uri Berliner

Berliner gave an interview yesterday to The Free Press. And ‘yes’, he is highly critical of NPR. It sounds as though more than a few Bernie Bros are working there. But this one paragraph below underlines a fundamental problem the media has in covering Donald Trump. ***

Like many unfortunate things, the rise of advocacy took off with Donald Trump. As in many newsrooms, his election in 2016 was greeted at NPR with a mixture of disbelief, anger, and despair. (Just to note, I eagerly voted against Trump twice but felt we were obliged to cover him fairly.) But what began as tough, straightforward coverage of a belligerent, truth-impaired president veered toward efforts to damage or topple Trump’s presidency.

https://www.thefp.com/p/npr-editor-how-npr-lost-americas-trust …………………………………………

KEY PASSAGE FROM ABOVE:

“But what began as tough, straightforward coverage of a belligerent, truth-impaired president.. ***

How does mainstream media cover a president who routinely utters falsehoods and has no regard for facts or science?

Trump also has a habit of ‘kidding around’ at inappropriate moments. Like that press conference where he wondered out loud if injecting bleach might prevent Covid.

Then Trump doubles-down on falsehoods when any rational president would simply admit the error. Like that time he mistakenly warned that a hurricane would hit Alabama. Meteorologists at the National Weather Bureau were actually cautioned by political appointees ‘not’ to contradict.

Trump is notoriously thin-skinned and obsessed with retribution. That too becomes a problem for journalists. How can they not take notice when Trump openly threatens people on social media?

Until Donald Trump, almost every U.S. President had either been Vice President, Senator, Governor or General. And in those positions, future presidents learned how to measure their words for public consumption.

But Donald Trump’s last job before the presidency had been reality TV star. In that position, Trump routinely uttered rash statements to create vital tension. That’s what drives reality shows: tension, drama and conflict.

But tension, drama and conflict are totally undesirable with regards to the presidency. A man who keeps churning trouble out of habit is ‘last’ person the country needs as Commandeer In Chief.

Therefore mainstream has no idea how to cover a president like Trump without sounding biased against him. Because reporting Trump, as he really is, sounds naturally terrible.

REGARDING ABOVE:

“ How does mainstream media cover a president who routinely utters falsehoods and has no regard for facts or science?”

the same way you report on every president. They all lie, distract, gaslight. All politicians do.

It’s the job of reporters to investigate and expose those lies or half-truths, not just to publish the press releases or quotes that public figures hand out.

That is a worthy and honorable profession, if done well.

But you’re struggling with reporting “Trump, as he really is” because he “sounds naturally terrible” that shows that you’re not reporting, you’re FEELING.

Are you going to tell me Biden doesn’t sound “naturally terrible?” I don’t know how old you are, but I’ve been watching this guy for decades. When he was younger (and better able to communicate), he was arrogant and often rude. As full of himself as Trump. Bidden’s sounded “naturally terrible” many times!

Yet no one’s wringing their hands over him—even now, when half the words he speaks are slurred. .

^^Paid DNC troll. Ignore.

NPR won’t tell you that AA support for Trump is surging. Not only are they sick of Bidenomics, open borders and out-of-control crime, this is heartwarming – “I don’t care what the media tells you, we support you”:

https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1778114112444309718

No wonder the far-right is mad at npr, if they point out the lies from the right, npr gets accused of being unfair to the liars.

The only people mad at NPR is NPR staff for one of their own, rightfully, calling them out for their lies, overt bias, wokeism and slanted reporting. Others who might be mad at NPR, is the 10% of those employees who got laid off. Why did they get laid off? Plunging donations from their listeners and corporate sponsorship. The rest of us who used to be NPR listeners quit listening for their lies, overt bias, wokeism and slanted reporting.

You must be really mad that RT tv is off the air.

Fishstick, I have no idea who or what RT TV is. As I have stated on more than a few occasions on the good professor’s blog, I do not watch TV. I READ, independent media or watch independent media like Sharyl Attkisson’s Full Measure. Or Glenn Greenwald’s System Update. Matt Taibbi’s podcasts. Or Honestly with Bari Weiss. Your lame attempts to associate me with whatever RT TV is, fails once again. As usual.

“… I have no idea who or what RT TV is.”

LOL — Nice confession of ignorance, Captain “Well Said.” I’m quite certain that Sharyl Attkisson, Glenn Greewald, Matt Taibbi, AND Bari Weiss — whom you CLAIM to follow — know who/what RT is and have mentioned RT many times.

RT — Russia Today — has broken some pretty big stories over the years, including the May 20, 2013, article involving the Hillary Clinton Benghazi scandal involving emails between Hillary and her sleazy associate, Sidney Blumentthal:

“Hillary Clinton’s ‘hacked’ Benghazi emails: FULL RELEASE” https://www.rt.com/usa/complete-emails-guccifer-clinton-554/

Note the date of that article — YEARS before the US media caught on to what Hillary was and wasn’t doing.

I am mad about that. I liked RT TV. One of the few places you could hear honest news.

Agreed. RT was actually better than much of our American ‘fake news’ propaganda press.

Thank you FW (F*ckWad???) for reminding me about RT TV! They may not be on the air, but they are still on the net!

Andrey Sushentsov: Americans can’t tell us who blew up Nord Stream, but they solved the Moscow terror attack case in 15 minutes?

The United States of America is trying to control and manipulate the media and political interpretation of the tragic terrorist attack in Moscow last month. In the Western information space, Washington is forming a narrative to try to distract attention from its proxy, Ukraine.

At certain points, ISIS was a useful tool for the Americans in Syria. There is published evidence suggesting that the US operated in parallel with the terrorist group against the Syrian government. The fact that Washington was ready to offer a coherent version of events from the first minutes after the attack in Moscow is in itself extremely paradoxical.

Consider this. The Americans have spent decades trying to determine the cause of crimes on their own soil, such as the assassinations of leading US political figures. They lack the resources, attention and enthusiasm to determine who was behind the sabotage of pan-European energy infrastructure: the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

However, within 15 minutes, they provided “accurate” information about who organized the terrorist attack in Moscow.

https://www.rt.com/russia/595712-sushentsov-interpretation-tragedy-crocus/

Floyd, it’s amusing to see American commies channeling Joe McCarthy, no?

Fishy de facto refers to the American Founders as “far-right.”

Everything the Founders established was conservative.

Nothing the Founders conceived and implemented was liberal.

Karl Marx conjured the Communist Manifesto 59 years after the Constitution precisely because Karl Marx opposed the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Fishy de facto possess a “far-left,” aka communist, perspective.

America, by Constitution, is an extremely conservative, restricted-vote republic, and distinctly not a one man, one vote democracy, which constitutes the “dictatorship of the proletariat.”

Fishy is a direct and mortal enemy of the American thesis of Freedom and Self-Reliance, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, actual Americans, and America.

Turley has absolutely nothing to say about Fox paying $800,000,000 in damages to Dominion Voting Systems and admitting in court documents that they KNOWINGLY lied about the election being rigged.

“We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false,” the [Fox] statement said.

Not just simple bias by Fox. They outright lied and paid the price.

You can read all about it here: https://www.npr.org/2023/04/18/1170339114/fox-news-settles-blockbuster-defamation-lawsuit-with-dominion-voting-systems

Hannity also admitted in his sworn deposition that he lied about the election being rigged.

“Fox News host Sean Hannity admitted under oath that he “did not believe” for “one second” there was mass voter fraud in the election.”

Read all about it here: https://thehill.com/homenews/3785645-sean-hannity-admits-in-deposition-he-didnt-believe-trump-voter-fraud-claims/

AMERICA MUST BE DONE WITH NPR

National Public Radio (NPR) is a direct and mortal enemy of the American thesis of Freedom and Self-Reliance, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, actual Americans, and America.

NPR is a sham.

NPR is distinctly not any form or rendition of a patriotic NATIONAL radio of America.

NPR has no relationship to the American thesis of Freedom and Self-Reliance.

NPR falsely exists under and deleteriously promotes the principles of the Communist Manifesto.

Taxpayer funding for NPR is counterintuitive, preposterous, seditious, and unconstitutional.

Congress has the power to tax ONLY for debt, defense, and general Welfare (i.e. security and basic infrastructure).

Congress has no power to tax for, fund, operate, or function as a free market enterprise or any aspect or facet of the free market free press.

Governmental broadcasting and publication is brainwashing, propaganda, and indoctrination used with great effect in communist countries, and, through NPR, in America.

Congress has the power to regulate ONLY the value of money, commerce among the States to preclude bias by one over another, and land and naval Forces.

Period. Full Stop. Read it.

The Communications Act of 1934 and the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 were and remain flagrantly unconstitutional, enjoying no legal or constitutional basis while abridging and denying the 1st Amendment freedom of the press.

NPR must have been immediately struck down by the judicial branch, with emphasis on the Supreme Court, five decades ago, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) earlier.

To the absent, subjective, partial, and biased communist Supreme Court, READ IT; you traitors are “adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort,” per Article 3, Section 3. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Article 1, Section 8

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;—And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Ahh bias at a news organization, who woulda thought.

Meanwhile, Another close trump aid bites the dust. Ahh can you image that, someone who worked for trump is a convicted perjury. https://www.alternet.org/allen-weisselberg-jail-trump/

Is Fani Willis one of Trump’s associates?

And Benedict Arnold worked for George Washington, prior to his failure of fealty and sub-rosa duplicity.

I can’t wait for the chickens coming home to roost. You lawfare maggots will rot in hell with your chicom owners.

It should not be difficult for anyone to report the news, including some explanation of the positions on either side of an issue, in an unbiased manner. It becoming less of a conservative vs. liberal matter, more of whether or not to allow Americans to have enough information to form their own opinions or, in accordance with the founding fathers, allow more information to counter “misinformation.” Having conducted a number of investigations to determine how Americans communicate with each other and form opinions about political matters, Adam Schiff is definitely in the camp that believes that information should be carefully controlled by a cabal of privileged “disinformation experts,” the “beautiful people” with intelligence agency backgrounds.

The opaque, black hole nobody in journalism wants to discuss is news selection. There are no standards for how a news org selects what deserves to be covered and what ignored. Nothing is ever written down in an attempt to standardize or improve how news is prioritized. All we have a are lame aphorisms (“if it bleeds, it leads”).

There was a time when network TV news was a cost-center, and newspapers were supported by local advertising, news selection was a balanced mixture of “human interest”, crime, politics, and good-news stories, with opinion pieces clearly marked as such. It’s always been the case that there is simply way too much going on to give press coverage to — and editors, producers and execs with their teams tossed around priorities for coverage, and made the calls. Somewhere in that mix was the notion of serving the public interest — providing info that would be helpful to know and not throwaway infotainment.

All that changed with privatization of media and profit-centered news orgs. Instant audience metrics came not too long after that, which laid bare the base instincts of the audience toward instant gratification and stimulus-accretion (yep, as in an addict’s need for greater dosage over time). This lead to the current news format of alarmist sensationalism — tricking the audience into thinking their world is on the verge of collapse in order to keep their attention glued. Then, came social media, anyone-can-publish, Twitter, and fracture of the audience into liberal and conservative info-bubbles.

Under this tribalistic media cleavage, news relevance devolves into 1) that which makes the opposition look bad including grievances (many speculative) about what “they” did to “us”, and 2) that which makes “us” look good.

Only when the audience grows sick of being pandered to in this manner, and abandons the alarmist-sensationalism format and its purveyors, will things change for the better. The audience holds the power to discipline media journalism, but only after each news consumer becomes a standards-setting body guided by conscious choice, and much less a creature of consumption habit.

Well said. The “disinformation experts” are way more dangerous than the disinformation they claim to be worried about.

Whether or not NPR receives funding from the government is irrelevant. The only standards for a news organization are to tell the truth.

The truth is that Criminal Defendant Trump and his Republican minions are a clear and present danger to the Republic and indeed to democracy. They provably spread Russian propaganda and side with our enemies. Just today it was reported that Republican Rep. Ken Buck revealed that many of his republican colleagues privately refer to Marjorie Taylor Greene as “Moscow Marjorie”.

This is the truth. This is what NPR reports. Compare this with the lies and propaganda spewing out of Fox.

The truth matters, and all news organizations have an obligation to report it regardless of their source of funding.

^^ Paid DNC troll. Ignore.

What was posted that is not true?

Can you trust trump and anything he says? trumps long time accountant is heading to jail for perjury.

Can you trust anything Biden says? Oh wait, let me rephrase that: can you trust anything Biden slurs?

As RFK Jr. said, Biden is a bigger threat to “democracy” than Trump.

Edwardmahl, Well said. No other president has weaponized government agencies to prosecute their political opponents more than the Biden admin.

To Anonymous:

Are Democrats perfect?

Is there never anything negative to say about any Democrat?

You miss the point: it’s fine to report on Marjorie Taylor Greene, as long as you cover the hatred and garbage spewed by Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Corrie Bush, AOC, et al

Seth Goldstein

Whom you referring to when you say, “OUR ENEMIES THE RUSSIANS”

They’re not MY enemies. I am a nobody out here in flyover land, a native born white male peasant nobody.

My enemies mostly live in 3 locations: Hollywood, DC, and Manhattan.

And no they’re not POOOTIN or the dreaded Chinese SEE SEE PEE

So who’s the boogeyman now, that old Soros is nearing his exit?

I think Larry Fink is probably a good picl. He is an ANTITRUST LAW VIOLATING RACKETEER. LOCK HIM UP!

The donor class. The plutocracy. As a group. That’s it. The exceptions prove the rule.

How are your Truth Social shares doing?

He’s probably buying more. I mean it’s a bargain right? And besides, trump needs the money to pay his lawyers, so they can get lawyers, to keep all his followers, and lawyers, out of jail.

Maybe you should leave your enemies behind and move to Russia to join your friends.

By “white male,” you mean American, just as the American Founders meant American when they employed the phrase “…free white person…” within the year of the adoption of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. __________________________________

Naturalization Acts of 1790, 1795, 1798, and 1802

United States Congress, “An act to establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization,” March 26, 1790

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That any Alien being a free white person, who shall have resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for the term of two years, may be admitted to become a citizen thereof…

Rep. Ken Buck revealed that many of his republican

The only rigorous process we have for getting to the truth is legally in Courts of Law, with adversarial conflict, strict rules of evidence, a neutral Judge forcing a timetable, punishment for perjury, and a Jury of peers as the ultimate deciders-of-fact. This system took centuries to evolve, and yes, there were many failures at justice, but this system is the best it’s ever been (despite what crybaby Trump wants you to believe).

The legal process provides truth-finding, conflict-resolution and closure in a manner that is impossible with the lesser tools of journalism and the “court of public opinion”. In that latter venue, people can lie and cover-up, and cleverness in crafting false narratives is the coin of the realm. Example: How Tony Blinken and Mike Morrell chose to cover-up Hunter’s laptop in the last 3 weeks of the 2020 campaign.

We should be expanding the ability to challenge Public Frauds, especially those waged for political advantage, through Civil torts, the same way defamation can be challenged, and the truth forced upon deceitful infowarriors.

Entertainment

How to Watch
My watchlist
Stock market
Biden economy
Personal finance
Stocks: most active
Stocks: gainers
Stocks: losers
Trending tickers
World indices
US Treasury bonds
Top mutual funds
Highest open interest
Highest implied volatility
Currency converter
Basic materials
Communication services
Consumer cyclical
Consumer defensive
Financial services
Industrials
Real estate
Mutual funds
Credit cards
Credit card rates
Balance transfer credit cards
Business credit cards
Cash back credit cards
Rewards credit cards
Travel credit cards
Checking accounts
Online checking accounts
High-yield savings accounts
Money market accounts
Personal loans
Student loans
Car insurance
Home buying
Options pit
Investment ideas
Research reports
Fantasy football
Pro Pick 'Em
College Pick 'Em
Fantasy baseball
Fantasy hockey
Fantasy basketball
Download the app
Daily fantasy
Scores and schedules
GameChannel
World Baseball Classic
Premier League
CONCACAF League
Champions League
Motorsports
Horse racing
Newsletters

New on Yahoo

Privacy Dashboard

Trump Calls for Defunding NPR After Senior Editor’s ‘Viewpoint Diversity’ Essay

Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

After a senior editor at National Public Radio on Tuesday blasted his employer of 25 years for not having any Republicans on staff, Donald Trump called for the nonprofit media organization to be defunded.

“NO MORE FUNDING FOR NPR, A TOTAL SCAM! EDITOR SAID THEY HAVE NO REPUBLICANS, AND IS ONLY USED TO ‘DAMAGE TRUMP.’ THEY ARE A LIBERAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE. NOT ONE DOLLAR!!!” Trump wrote in all caps on his Truth Social media platform Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Uri Berliner wrote an op-ed for The Free Press lamenting the “absence of viewpoint diversity” at NPR, writing that he found “87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans.”

Berliner wrote that, due to DEI initiatives that focus on hiring people of diverse ethnicities and genders, “an open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America.”

Berliner also wrote that he “eagerly voted against Trump twice,” but was upset that “what began as tough, straightforward coverage of a belligerent, truth-impaired president veered toward efforts to damage or topple Trump’s presidency.”

An award-winning journalist himself, Berliner added that “despite our missteps at NPR, defunding isn’t the answer.”

“As the country becomes more fractured, there’s still a need for a public institution where stories are told and viewpoints exchanged in good faith,” he wrote. “Defunding, as a rebuke from Congress, wouldn’t change the journalism at NPR. That needs to come from within.”

NPR editor-in-chief Edith Chapin defended the organization in response to the piece, saying she and the leadership team “strongly disagree with Uri’s assessment of the quality of our journalism.”

Journalist Mehdi Hasan also weighed in on the issue Tuesday, tweeting, “This essay has it backwards: you can’t blame NPR for conservatives not listening. You have to ask why conservatives have gone down conspiracy holes (climate change, 2020 election, vaccines) & how on earth mainstream media is supposed to cater to them now?”

Per NPR’s website, its income comes from dues and fees paid by member stations, underwriting from corporate sponsors and annual grants from the publicly funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Less than 1% of its funding comes directly from the federal government.

NPR is currently rated as “leaning left” by Allsides.com , which assesses media bias, more centrist than the “left” status of The Huffington Post .

The post Trump Calls for Defunding NPR After Senior Editor’s ‘Viewpoint Diversity’ Essay appeared first on TheWrap .

Trump legal news brief: 3rd appeals court judge in 3 days rejects Trump motion to delay hush money trial

An appeals court judge rejects former President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to delay the start of the hush money trial on the grounds that presidential immunity protects him from being prosecuted.

The wildest Lionel Messi-Inter Miami dream ends with a whimper in Monterrey

Inter Miami's ambitious quest for a Club World Cup berth came to an abrupt end as they were outclassed by Monterrey in Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals, exposing the gap between MLS and Liga MX.

Twitch CEO says DJs will have to share what they earn on the website with music labels

Dan Clancy said that Twitch is working on a "structure," wherein DJs and the platform "are gonna have to share money with the labels."

Apple alerts users in 92 nations to mercenary spyware attacks

Apple sent threat notifications to iPhone users in 92 countries on Wednesday, warning them that may have been targeted by mercenary spyware attacks. It did not disclose the attackers' identities or the countries where users received notifications. "Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID -xxx-," it wrote in the warning to affected customers.

Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio is well on his way to becoming the face of the franchise

In the big leagues with a long-term deal at just 20 years old, Chourio is "going to be even better than he already is."

Guardians' Bo and Josh Naylor celebrate National Siblings Day with home runs in same inning

The Naylors also achieved this unique feat in July against the Rangers.

Ross meets with Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Coach Prime’s team building & is Kentucky locking in on Scott Drew?

Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde discuss Scott Drew being a top candidate at Kentucky, the possibility of a college football super league, the Kalen DeBoer era for Alabama football, and Deion Sanders recruiting methods

Overwatch 2 introduces harsher punishments for players who leave mid-match

Leaving 10 out of 20 competitive games will get you banned for the rest of the season.

Top-ranked prospect Jackson Holliday makes debut with Orioles, goes 0-for-4 in O's comeback win

Jackson Holliday, whom the Orioles drafted with the No. 1 pick in 2022, was called up from their Triple-A team on Tuesday.

Space diversity initiative builds steam with new leadership and K-12 focused National Space Day

A growing effort to attract more women and people of color into the space industry has shared some of its first results and a new occasion to rally around: National Space Day, May 3, when thousands of students will learn that not only can they do space stuff, but they really should start now. Space Workforce 2030 is a joint effort by the Space Foundation and Aerospace Corporation, amounting to basically a promise that they — and all their 29 company partners as of now — will transparently report the demographics of their workplaces, hiring and recruitment, and work together to identify ways to bring a more diverse crowd to the notoriously homogeneous space industry. The effort also now has an executive director in Melanie Stricklan, formerly of Slingshot Space (and the Air Force), who is now leading the organization full time.

Get this cordless Dyson vacuum for $130 off during Target Circle Week — the price goes up tomorrow

The lightweight V8 Origin 'picks up every single tiny piece of dust,' one fan says.

Why is the Dali ship crew still stuck on board in the Baltimore Harbor?

Two weeks after the Dali cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the 21-person crew remains onboard.

Report: Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore planned significant payroll cuts with Timberwolves

Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore reportedly planned to bring the Timberwolves below the projected luxury tax threshold next season, which left Glen Taylor very concerned.

'Cute, stretchy and comfortable': These No. 1 bestselling no-show socks actually stay in place, shoppers say

'I love them so much that I wear them in the house after taking off my shoes,' says one fan.

Google brings AI-powered editing tools, like Magic Editor, to all Google Photos users for free

Google Photos is getting an AI upgrade. On Wednesday, the tech giant announced that a handful of enhanced editing features previously limited to Pixel devices and paid subscribers -- including its AI-powered Magic Editor -- will now make their way to all Google Photos users for free. This expansion also includes Google's Magic Eraser, which removes unwanted items from photos; Photo Unblur, which uses machine learning to sharpen blurry photos; Portrait Light, which lets you change the light source on photos after the fact, and others.

Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard review: Earn up to 5% cash back when shopping at Walmart

If you're a frequent Walmart shopper, this Capital One card could help you earn money back on your purchases.

You can grab the Nothing Phone 2 for $74 off right now

Amazon has the Nothing Phone 2 on sale for the first time since its launch. You can grab the offbeat mainstream smartphone alternative for $74 off its usual price.

Hundreds of creators sign letter slamming Meta's limit on political content

If you haven't been seeing much political content on Instagram lately, there's a reason for that. Since March, Instagram and Threads have instituted a new default setting that limits political content you see from people you're not following. Hundreds of creators, convened by GLAAD and Accountable Tech, have signed an open letter demanding that Instagram make the political content limit an opt-in feature, rather than on-by-default.

1 dead in Mississippi as tornadoes, flash flooding and large hail wreak havoc across Southern U.S.

Gulf coast states, including Louisiana, are getting hit hard with heavy rainfall, tornadoes, hail and flooding. Here's how bad it is.

NPR Editor's Critical Op-Ed Ignites Debate Over Political Bias in Journalism: 'This Essay Has It Backwards'

A scathing op-ed from NPR veteran and current senior business editor Uri Berliner published in The Free Press on Tuesday has intensified debates over whether the publicly funded news organization has adopted a partisan lean in recent years.

In the piece , Berliner details a culture shift at the organization, in which "An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America."

Berliner argued that NPR is plagued with an "absence of viewpoint diversity," which he considers to be a result of leadership's emphasis on promoting diversity and inclusion on the basis of race and sexual orientation. He also claims that he found "87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

NPR editor-in-chief Edith Chapin defended the organization in response to the piece, saying she the leadership team "strongly disagree with Uri's assessment of the quality of our journalism."

While Chapin backed the "exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she added that "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

According to NPR media reporter David Folkenflik , several journalists inside the organization question how they can proceed with Berliner as a colleague, with concerns about whether he can be a trusted member of NPR in the aftermath of the op-ed. Additionally, Berliner did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he seek comment from the organization ahead of time; though he does say in his piece that he sought to raise his concerns with leadership on several occasions.

Meanwhile, outside of the organization, debates regarding the content of Berliner's piece have sprouted up across social media, with many coming to the defense of the storied NPR institution.

Some argued that the shift that occurred in political coverage across the media industry was forced on institutions due to the changing nature of the Republican Party since the election of Donald Trump in 2016.

Some came to Berliner's defense, including former NPR vice president for news Jeffrey Dvorkin who vouched for the changes to the organization.

The post NPR Editor's Critical Op-Ed Ignites Debate Over Political Bias in Journalism: 'This Essay Has It Backwards' appeared first on TheWrap .

NPR Fires Back at Staffer’s Missive About Left-Wing ‘Miscues’

Senior business editor Uri Berliner wrote an essay claiming Americans no longer trust NPR because of its lack of “viewpoint diversity” and embrace of DEI.

Corbin Bolies

Media Reporter

Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty

NPR struck back on Tuesday at its senior business editor Uri Berliner’s lengthy screed alleged his own outlet has sacrificed journalistic values and adopted progressive views on issues that have alienated Americans.

“I and my colleagues on the leadership team strongly disagree with Uri’s assessment of the quality of our journalism and the integrity of our newsroom processes,” NPR Editor in Chief Edith Chapin wrote to staffers in a memo, which was first reported by The New York Times. “We’re proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories. We believe that inclusion—among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage—is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world.”

NPR declined to comment beyond Chapin’s letter, which was first reported by The New York Times.

Berliner wrote in The Free Press, a digital outlet founded by Bari Weiss , that Americans have lost trust in NPR due to a lack of “viewpoint diversity” among its staff. He cited NPR’s coverage of the COVID-19 lab leak theory, Hunter Biden’s laptop, and allegations that Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election as examples of how “politics were blotting out the curiosity and independence that ought to have been driving our work.”

He also wrote that the consideration of diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with the use of language provided by journalism affinity groups, represented “the extent to which people at every level of NPR have comfortably coalesced around the progressive worldview.” Berliner specifically cited an NPR initiative collecting demographic data from every source its reporters interview, which launched in 2020 as a way for the outlet to track the diversity of its sourcing.

Berliner claimed he tried to go to management with complaints about the company’s positions and even looked up the voter registration of the D.C. newsroom, allegedly finding zero registered Republicans. When he presented those findings at a 2021 all-staff meeting, he said he was met with “profound indifference” from colleagues. “The messages were of the ‘oh wow, that’s weird’ variety, as if the lopsided tally was a random anomaly rather than a critical failure of our diversity North Star,” he recalled.

Chapin, NPR’s top editor, fired back at Berliner’s dismissal of the outlet’s diversity initiatives, saying in her memo that “exploring the diverse perspectives that drive world events is necessary to our public service mission.”

“That’s why we have built in processes to verify accuracy and why we adhere to the highest editorial standards,” she wrote. “It’s why we have a standards and practices editor as well as a public editor to stand-in for the audience. It’s why we track sources—so we can expand the diversity of perspectives in our reporting. We have these internal debates, enforce strong editorial standards, and engage in processes that measure our work precisely because we recognize that nobody has the ‘view from nowhere.’”

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here .

READ THIS LIST

Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission.

The Media Did Not Make Up Trump’s Russia Scandal

Liberal bias mostly exists outside politics coverage.

NPR reporter Uri Berliner wrote an essay for The Free Press arguing that the network has lost chunks of its audience by growing too dogmatically progressive. Some of the evidence supports his claim. Unfortunately, he undermines his case by leading with an example that in no way vindicates the thesis, and actually undermines it: coverage of the Trump-Russia scandal .

Berliner presents the story as a nothingburger that NPR breathlessly hyped and then ignored when it turned out to exonerate the president:

“Persistent rumors that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia over the election became the catnip that drove reporting. At NPR, we hitched our wagon to Trump’s most visible antagonist, Representative Adam Schiff. Schiff, who was the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, became NPR’s guiding hand, its ever-present muse. By my count, NPR hosts interviewed Schiff 25 times about Trump and Russia. During many of those conversations, Schiff alluded to purported evidence of collusion. The Schiff talking points became the drumbeat of NPR news reports. But when the Mueller report found no credible evidence of collusion, NPR’s coverage was notably sparse. Russiagate quietly faded from our programming.”

Even though Republicans have repeated this ad nauseam to the point where The Free Press would blithely state it as fact, it is simply not true that the Mueller report “found no credible evidence of collusion.”

First, establishing “collusion” was explicitly not the objective of the Mueller investigation. Mueller saw his job as identifying criminal behavior. Collusion is not a crime. The Mueller report stated clearly that it was not attempting to prove whether or not Trump colluded with Russia:

In evaluating whether evidence about collective action of multiple individuals constituted a crime, we applied the framework of conspiracy law, not the concept of “collusion.” In so doing, the Office recognized that the word “collud[e]” was used in communications with the Acting Attorney General confirming certain aspects of the investigation’s scope and that the term has frequently been invoked in public reporting about the investigation. But collusion is not a specific offense or theory of liability found in the United States Code, nor is it a term of art in federal criminal law. For those reasons, the Office’s focus in analyzing questions of joint criminal liability was on conspiracy as defined in federal law.

Nonetheless, Mueller found extensive evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The evidence was summarized in a report by Just Security . It uncovered multiple secret meetings and communications between the two, including, but not limited to. Trump campaign officials met with Russian agents in Trump Tower and were receptive to the offer of campaign assistance; Russian agents shared with Trump their plan to leak embarrassing emails; Trump’s campaign manager shared polling data with a figure linked to Russian intelligence; Trump appeared to have advance knowledge of the timing of the release of stolen Russian emails; and the campaign and Russia coordinated a response to Obama administration sanctions punishing Russia for its efforts on Trump’s behalf.

But because collusion is not a crime, Mueller refrained from stating an opinion as to whether this extensive pattern of furtive meetings in pursuit of a shared objective constituted “collusion.”

There was an investigation into whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia. That investigation was conducted by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee . And that report found even more evidence of collusion, including multiple links between Russian intelligence and the Russian figures interfacing with Trump’s campaign. The Senate identified Konstantin Kilimnik, the business partner of Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, as a Russian intelligence agent. And it found two pieces of evidence that “raise the possibility of Manafort’s potential connection to the hack-and-leak operations” — the most direct kind of collusion — that it redacted for national-security reasons.

The Senate Intelligence report came out more than a year after the Mueller report and received a fraction of the media attention devoted to Mueller. But that disparity is not, as Berliner frames it, evidence of anti-Trump bias. It’s evidence of the opposite. The news media allowed Trump’s “no collusion” to misleadingly frame Mueller’s investigation and then buried the report that did investigate collusion.

In my experience, if you tell a conservative that there’s a damning story about a Republican the mainstream media ignored, they’ll look at you like you said there are live aliens in a government building. They’re not wrong that the mainstream media has a great deal of liberal bias.

In my view, though, that bias exerts the strongest impact on cultural coverage and on siloed social liberal beats, especially ones related to identity politics, that often simply treat progressive activists as authority figures and convey their perspective uncritically. The New York Times became the target of left-wing protests because it covered the youth gender-medicine story with traditional journalistic methods rather than simply regurgitating activist talking points, as many other publications have done. The Times continues to stand out from other American media institutions in its idiosyncratic decision to cover divisions within the youth gender medical field. The Times wrote about a major new U.K. report finding casting doubt on medicalization of gender-questioning youth, but most American news outlets have covered the story in the same way Fox News covers stories that embarrass Republicans: not at all.

Yet that bias on social liberalism and culture does not equate to coverage of hard political news, which still retains the traditional features of reporting the claims of both parties. Both the mainstream media and its critics would benefit from thinking more carefully about the very different ways parts of their organizations have treated norms of objectivity.

Berliner thinks the Russia story is evidence the news media is hopelessly biased to the left. If anything, his misunderstanding of the story shows the bias is not as bad as he thinks.

remove interruptions
the national interest

Editor’s Picks

What is your email?

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

Lower case letters (a-z)
Upper case letters (A-Z)
Numbers (0-9)
Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

IMAGES

43+ This I Believe Essay Examples Npr Gif
How to Write an I Believe Essay: Example and Tips
🏆 How to write a this i believe speech. How to Write an I Believe Essay
029 Essay Example I Believe This Examples Ideas Of Tit Good Topics
😍 Npr this i believe essays. Npr This I Believe Essays. 2019-02-22
015 Essay Example Story Topics Essays Examples About This I Believe

VIDEO

The Interview

COMMENTS

This I Believe : NPR
This I Believe Beginning in 1951, radio pioneer Edward R. Murrow asked Americans from all walks of life to write essays about their most fundamental and closely held beliefs. Half a century later ...
Home
This I Believe is an international organization engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. Over 125,000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, have been archived here on our website, heard on public radio, chronicled through our books, and featured in weekly ...
Featured Essays Archives
Explore. Featured Essays Essays on the Radio; Special Features; 1950s Essays Essays From the 1950s Series; Browse by Theme Browse Essays By Theme Use this feature to browse through the tens of thousands of essays that have been submitted to This I Believe. Select a theme to see a listing of essays that address the selected theme. The number to the right of each theme indicates how many essays ...
This I Believe: Voices of Youth
The quantity and quality of these essays, coupled with the excitement from educators using our books and curricula, lead us to think it is an opportune time to publish a This I Believe book written by youth. Sample Essays from Youth. Brighton Early High School Student As heard on NPR's All Things Considered (2008)
PDF How to Write Your Own This I Believe Essay
As heard on NPR ® www.thisibelieve.org This I Believe: An invitation to people from all walks of life This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing, ... This I Believe Essay We invite you to contribute to this project by writing and submitting your own statement of personal belief. We understand how challenging this is ...
This I Believe
In 2006, a new book called This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women was published. It was a collection of sixty essays from the NPR series, plus twenty essays from Murrow's original series. The audio version won the 2007 Audie Award for Short Stories/Collection. Another book, This I Believe: On Love was published in ...
This I Believe
About This I Believe. This I Believe was an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, are archived online in perpetuity. Selected essays aired on National Public Radio from 2005 to 2009, and were collected in a New York Times bestselling book ...
"This I Believe" Essay
This I Believe is an exciting media project that invites individuals from all walks of life to write about and discuss the core beliefs that guide their daily lives. They share these statements in weekly broadcasts on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. The series is based on the 1950's radio program This I Believe, hosted by ...
The Future Of 'This I Believe' : NPR
However, that was not what motivated us to end the series on NPR. We at This I Believe Inc. are committed to the future of the "This I Believe" essay-writing project. Our collaboration with NPR ...
'This I Believe' Essay Showcase
The essay genre started in the 1950s on a radio show with Edward R. Murrow and was continued by NPR in 2004. Many have enjoyed writing and reading these essays ever since. You can read or listen to tens of thousands of This I Believe essays at This I Believe.org.
This I Believe: Finding the Quiet in Your Life
This I Believe Illinois is NPR Illinois' annual essay program for Illinois high school seniors. An expression of where their minds are as they prepare to enter the adult world. This I Believe was started by radio journalist Edward R. Murrow in 1951 to allow anyone able to distil the guiding principles by which they lived.
This I Believe: I Believe in the After
This I Believe Illinois is NPR Illinois' annual essay program for Illinois high school seniors. An expression of where their minds are as they prepare to enter the adult world. This I Believe was started by radio journalist Edward R. Murrow in 1951 to allow anyone able to distil the guiding principles by which they lived.
The History of This I Believe
Explore. Featured Essays Essays on the Radio; Special Features; 1950s Essays Essays From the 1950s Series; Browse by Theme Browse Essays By Theme Use this feature to browse through the tens of thousands of essays that have been submitted to This I Believe. Select a theme to see a listing of essays that address the selected theme. The number to the right of each theme indicates how many essays ...
This I Believe: Blood Doesn't Equal Family
Blood or not, I believe family is what you make, not what you are born into. This I Believe Illinois is NPR Illinois' annual essay program for Illinois high school seniors. An expression of where their minds are as they prepare to enter the adult world. This I Believe was started by radio journalist Edward R. Murrow in 1951 to allow anyone able ...
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore. Featured Essays Essays on the Radio; Special Features; 1950s Essays Essays From the 1950s Series; Browse by Theme Browse Essays By Theme Use this feature to browse through the tens of thousands of essays that have been submitted to This I Believe. Select a theme to see a listing of essays that address the selected theme. The number to the right of each theme indicates how many essays ...
This I Believe Illinois
This I Believe Illinois is NPR Illinois' annual essay program for Illinois high school seniors. An expression of where their minds are as they prepare to enter the adult world.Thank you to all who submitted to the Fall 2023 This I Believe Essay Program! Registration and details for Meet the Authors at the link below. Please contact Bea Bonner at [email protected] for any questions. Special thank ...
NPR's 'This I Believe' wants essays about your core values
By inviting Americans from all walks of life to participate, series producers Dan Gediman and Jay Allison hope to create a picture of the American spirit in all its rich complexity. "This I Believe" is based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. In spite of the fear of atomic warfare ...
NPR Illinois- "This I Believe" Essay Winner
Avery reads her essay from approximately 21:57-24:18. Way to go, Avery! "My Dual Credit English class wrote "This I Believe" essays and entered them in NPR Illinois' state-wide competition. My essay, which was titled "Magic In The Mundane," was inspired by my late great aunt, whose memory I hold very close to my heart.
NPR Editor Blasts the Public-Funded Company for Political Bias and
In a scathing account from within National Public Radio (NPR), Senior Editor Uri Berliner blasted the company for open political bias and activism. Berliner, who says that he is liberal politically, wrote about how NPR went from a left-leaning media outlet to a virtual Democratic operation echoing narratives from figures like Rep. Adam Schiff (D.,…
Trump Calls for Defunding NPR After Senior Editor's ...
Wed, April 10, 2024, 9:35 PM EDT · 2 min read. After a senior editor at National Public Radio on Tuesday blasted his employer of 25 years for not having any Republicans on staff, Donald Trump ...
NPR Editor's Critical Op-Ed Ignites Debate Over Political Bias in ...
A scathing op-ed from NPR veteran and current senior business editor Uri Berliner published in The Free Press on Tuesday has intensified debates over whether the publicly funded news organization ...
NPR Editor Responds to Public Criticism From Veteran Journo
Uri Berliner, a 25-year veteran of NPR's newsroom, took aim at his employer in a scathing essay on Tuesday, one which quickly drew a rebuke from Edith Chapin, the editor-in-chief and acting ...
NPR Fires Back at Staffer's Missive About Left-Wing 'Miscues'
ELITES V. ELITES. Noah Kirsch. Chapin, NPR's top editor, fired back at Berliner's dismissal of the outlet's diversity initiatives, saying in her memo that "exploring the diverse ...
NPR under new scrutiny after longtime employee reveals its left-wing
Uri Berliner's viral essay about his observations as a longtime NPR producer and editor warned against defunding the organization. But at the same time, he made the case for it, chronicling NPR ...
The Media Did Not Make Up Trump's Russia Scandal
The Media Did Not Make Up Trump's Russia Scandal. By Jonathan Chait, who's been a New York political columnist since 2011. NPR reporter Uri Berliner wrote an essay for The Free Press arguing ...