NPR and the War

National Public Radio is a valuable source of balanced information on many subjects, including the war in Iraq. Lately, NPR has featured several authors, professors, and other experts who've been able to explain some good reasons why we should be in Iraq.

Having some doubts about this war, it was somewhat reassuring to get the goods from people who are not politicians. Since we are paying the cost for this endeavour, it would be nice if stability and less terrorism, ultimately, happen. NPR has had various, educated, experienced, well spoken guests who've given some good reasons why Middle East stability may occur, due to the war being fought. Now, while some of the experts illuminated possible benefits, and good rational for the war, not all of them were comfortable with our pre-emptive strike.


NPR is sometimes criticized for being too liberal but the programs I listen to have an evenly biased number of guests. Try NPR for a few weeks if you like informational, talk radio, if you've never checked it out. Yes, extremeists from both sides are also featured from time to time but the listener can just turn them off. Extremists from any party turn me off but it's good to be aware of those views too.


NPR has provided some of the information I was seeking when I asked "Why Do You Support the War." Even though I'm of one opinion now, I do like to temper that opinion with continuously, updated, information.

jayflash-
Didn't you realize that Fox News is "fair and balanced"??
They say so themselves.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Stu, haven't you heard? They changed their name to Fox Hole News.

There are way too few balanced news sources; it's almost criminal.

C-SPAN is about the only other no-BS way to find out what your representatives are up to - without the usual political filtering.

Read about what the NPR Ombudsman says about an NPR Program:

All Things Considered

-Bill

Yeah, I listen to NPR. Sometimes I need several hours of Rush Limbaugh to balance the agenda. Is Jane Fonda running CNN now?

NewBie, I think you've found the secret - don't expect any one news source to be balanced, get your news from multiple services.

Although I haven't listened to whatever the new left-leaning, radio talk show is, up until now there was NO liberal talk radio, that I know of. So, I guess in comparison to Rush et.al. NPR would appear to be liberal. I also guess that even a 50/50 split of conservative/liberal views would constitute a liberal bias for the ditto heads that seem to pervade the USA today. It's telling that unless a program is 100% conservative - it's liberal.

So-called Conservative Talk Radio came about as an alternative to liberal dominated broadcast and print news media.

NPR has a long record of liberal bent established many years before Rush Limbaugh's current radio show.

Well, in San Francisco, I am aware of KGO (ABC), KFPA/Pacifica Radio, KQED-FM, and Several College Stations that all have very left of center hosts/shows. All that pre-date Savage (who got his start on KGO), Rush, Hanity, et. al. by decades.

Certainly, not every hour or every host was/is liberal--but the overall tone was not conservative for many decades.

-Bill

The "Liberal Media" is an ancient canard - the pendulum has shifted to the right for quite awhile, now. Just like "tax & spend" is no longer accurate - "borrow and spend" has become the new fiscal model.

Well, technically, it is probably tax, borrow, pass bond measures, promise it will be better next year, and spend like there is no tomorrow. At least in California--it's for the children--yea, right.

-Bill

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The "Liberal Media" is an ancient canard - the pendulum has shifted to the right for quite awhile

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, there are other adjectives besides "Liberal" but I don't know of any that are as apropos.

The BBC has the same reputation as being liberal, I always thought that the government ran NPR but it's privately supported. I checked out their web page .They have a huge forum, didn't see anything about flashlight.

I didn't know that there was a liberal talk show on radio. They tried a liberal talk show a few years ago here in Nashville on WLAC but of course it didn't survey. It was kind of funny to listen to, the lady had no chance.

WARNING:

Ok... so let's explore this question... so why aren't there more liberal radio talk shows? Or even Democrat radio talk shows? Anyone have any thoughts on this? I do... but I'd like to hear yours first... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Boy Sasha, you sure know how to kill a thread! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

How can I word this so that I don't get this thread closed and myself banned...

For me, I find that the "liberal" hosts tend to push feelings over results and realities. And instead of discussing facts tend to the personal pejoratives very quickly:

<ul type="square">[*]reducing welfare will hurt children, I must hate children...
[*]being against affirmative action means I am racist...
[*]because I think one way, I must only get my information from Fox News [sorry, I don't have cable/satellite, and don't get local FOX channel over the air] and I need to find a dictatorship to live under (both of those have been thrown my way in the last couple of days on the CPF Cafe)...
[*]If you are against all of the above programs, you must be a right wing (fill in the blank)... etc.
[/list]

Liberal talk show hosts seem to want to be judged on their intentions and not the real world effects of their policies.

Liberal talk show hosts are tolerant of everyone--except those that disagree with their positions.

Democrat talking heads/politicians seem to offer complete support for the party line/leader come hell or high water--right or wrong. Very boring after awhile and, at least to me, seems to display a major lack of a moral center and leads to massive hypocrisy in their shows. Something along the lines of the "means justifies the ends"...

I think I will stop here for now...

-Bill

AS Jack Soo (nick Yamano from the old Barney Miller show) would say... "Very well put"
Fester

BB PM sent

What I find funny is how for so many years Rush has been lambasted as any number of derogatory terms and his audience dismissed as primarily angry white males. I've been listening to this new Ed Schultz show on my local talk radio. Wow, a clear attempt at cloning Rush, same type of voice, same inflections, same jolly bombast, even periodic diversions into sports chat. I keep hearing him try our different workings of Rush sayings, ("Having more fun that I should" etc) LOL, its good to see them finally giving Rush his due.

Given that this guy is "Rush, only liberal" it will be an interesting test of the idea liberal talk radio to see if he can gather a sufficient audience. With NPR being an entirely different animal unto itself, and Air America existing chiefly to skirt the new campaign finance restrictions (watch what happens to it after the election) Schultz pretty much has a corner on the market for mainstream national talk radio with a liberal bent.

[ QUOTE ]
Sasha said:
so why aren't there more liberal radio talk shows? Or even Democrat radio talk shows? Anyone have any thoughts on this? I do...

[/ QUOTE ]
I have thoughts! Pick me, pick me!

My answer: There is no need. There's nothing that makes the liberals look better than listening to the Radio Right.

[ QUOTE ]
BB said:
How can I word this so that I don't get this thread closed and myself banned...

[/ QUOTE ]
From experience, I find that if Sasha asks the question, it is OK to respond. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

OK, so I've gotta tell you in all honesty that I had to re-read your post because I couldn't believe you were slanting it the way you were. Replace "liberal" with "conservative" and vice-versa and your post is equally accurate.

I've said it before - I think that extreme partisan talk shows (either side - I don't care) are poison to our society. Half-truths might be all fun and games, but it doesn't get us anywhere meaningful.