Support NeoGAF

[FLEABttn]

once again the liberals find themselves being immense hypocrites by silencing free speech

fucking disgusting

i for one am NOBAMA

Political troll schtick is old.

 

[thefro]

good news, Yahoo! needs to be next.

 

[reggieandTFE]

NPR news does not have a liberal bias. If anything, it has an elite, beltway bias as it features a lot more professors and think-tank representatives than normal commercial radio. Also, saying that the conservatives on NPR are like Alan Colmes on Fox News is absurd. They have on way more CATO and AEI representatives than they do reps from progressive think tanks.

 

[Wanace]

But how will Locke and Demosthenes take over the world?

 

[scorcho]

Why does a news station need to be any political flavour? Can't it just report the news?

he's wrong - NPR itself only has two stations on XM/Sirius. one is devoted to entertainment and news shows, the other showcases call-in shows.

the various political channels on satellite are run by XM/Sirius and have no affiliation with NPR.

and as someone else mentioned - it's a bit too simplistic to say that NPR is biased towards a particular political ideology. the one criticism i could make is that they tend to promote the status quo, and lean too heavily on a staple of mainstream academics and think tanks to reinforce their reporting.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Aside from David Brooks, who would you say are the contributors NPR brings on most often to represent a conservative point of view? I'm not saying how they do their programming is bad or that they even NEED to bring on more conservatives - I just think it's disingenuous for Vivian Schiller to claim they are some straight down the middle outfit and that they need 10% of their funding from the government.

They produce a lot of good content - content that will certainly be supported by underwriters (err, advertisers) and listeners.

Okay seriously, if you'd like to support your position with facts, you can head over to NPR and listen to their news podcasts right from there website:

Talk of The Nation section http://www.npr.org/programs/talk-of-the-nation/

All Things Considered section http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/

Fresh air section http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/

Science Friday section http://sciencefriday.com/

Morning edition section http://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/

or Diane Rehm's show http://thedianerehmshow.org/


...and point out which of the conversations offers some sort of bias. As one who listens to NPR daily and also prefer it to 24-hour news stations, I just don't see it and have never seen what you're suggesting. But feel free to visit any of the above sections and point out a podcast that supports your accusations. If it does, we'll have to concede your point. I just don't think you'll find what you believe is there.

Also, Trent: if you have an iOS or Android phone, you can download NPR's app. It's fantastic. You can listen to any of their podcasts through it at any time. Highly recommended.

I have XM Radio and on there NPR has 4 stations. A Left station, a Right station, a middle political station, and the regular station.

NO. the above links are all NPR has for news. Find the lean in any of them and I'll give you a cookie.

this class of Juniors. back into the womb, please. you guys aren't done yet.

 

[Slightly Live]

But how will Locke and Demosthenes take over the world?

Hah! =(

 

[KibblesBits]

Okay seriously, if you'd like to support your position with facts, you can head over to NPR and listen to their news podcasts right from there website:

Talk of The Nation section http://www.npr.org/programs/talk-of-the-nation/

All Things Considered section http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/

Fresh air section http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/

Science Friday section http://sciencefriday.com/

Morning edition section http://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/

or Diane Rehm's show http://thedianerehmshow.org/


...and point out which of the conversations offers some sort of bias. As one who listens to NPR daily and also prefer it to 24-hour news stations, I just don't see it and have never seen what you're suggesting. But feel free to visit any of the above sections and point out a podcast that supports your accusations. If it does, we'll have to concede your point. I just don't think you'll find what you believe is there.

Also, Trent: if you have an iOS or Android phone, you can download NPR's app. It's fantastic. You can listen to any of their podcasts through it at any time. Highly recommended.



NO. the above links are all NPR has for news. Find the lean in any of them and I'll give you a cookie.

this class of Juniors. back into the womb, please. you guys aren't done yet.

I love most of the shows listed here.
And quoting just because it's needed.

 

[AstroLad]

aren't a ton of sites doing this now in one form or another? this looks a lot more involved but still i like it. comments are such a cesspool and there's really no need for them to be. imo gaf benefits a lot just from requiring a real email address and actively modding. there are still lots of sites where people can post firsties and racist vitriol in total anonymity and without moderation so freedom is not dead

 

[Kai Dracon]

Nothing to see here; what they're doing is what everyone is doing/will have to do shortly IMHO.

Internet discussion that's too unmoderated/anonymous turns into 4chan / politicschan in about 14 microseconds. The net has made itself available at this point to a wide enough sampling of people, to have attracted the unhappy trolls and cruel brats who just want to see a stream of hate following their words on a screen.

Some people will gripe about "freedom of speech" and I would bet that Fox News will, if "liberal" sites do this first, try to spin it for a while that their internet presence supports FRAYDUM on the web just like the Founding Fathers envisioned.

But in reality, the internet is a teeming mass of human behavior unrestricted by the naturally evolved checks and balances of social pressure. In other words, a cauldron of idiocy, hostility, and aggression.

 

[Telosfortelos]

Okay seriously, if you'd like to support your position with facts, you can head over to NPR and listen to their news podcasts right from there website:
...
or Diane Rehm's show http://thedianerehmshow.org/

...and point out which of the conversations offers some sort of bias.

In all fairness, Diane Rehm makes her viewpoint pretty clear throughout her show.

For context, I'm a liberal who listens to NPR daily, and I completely agree that it's the least biased news source available stateside. For example, when recently interviewed, their Twitter guy was intensely questioned about the appropriateness of retweeting tweets from Libyan rebels, and how that might come across as advocacy. He had to argue that he added nothing to the tweets, and that almost all tweets from Libya were from rebels, whereas for Egypt he was able to retweet a bit from both sides. The questioning was very intense though, and I thought it did a pretty amazing job illustrating how important avoiding advocacy and bias is to NPR news. I wish I remember what show that was from.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

In all fairness, Diane Rehm makes her viewpoint pretty clear throughout her show.

For context, I'm a liberal who listens to NPR daily, and I completely agree that it's the least biased news source available stateside. For example, when recently interviewed, their Twitter guy was intensely questioned about the appropriateness of retweeting tweets from Libyan rebels, and how that might come across as advocacy. He had to argue that he added nothing to the tweets, and that almost all tweets from Libya were from rebels, whereas for Egypt he was able to retweet a bit from both sides. The questioning was very intense though, and I thought it did a pretty amazing job illustrating how important avoiding advocacy and bias is to NPR news. I wish I remember what show that was from.

I don't know if old-ass Diane presents any heavy-handed viewpoints so much as asks questions based on what she knows or thinks she knows then asks for clarification or thoughts on the issues. But I can't say I catch her on very often, so I'm not as familiar with her anyway.

as another example, they were talking about the Wisconsin protests the other day and one of their guests being asked about the situation was the new Republican governor from Michigan. Simple questions about what he thought about the situation there and how he's dealing with unions in Michigan. They didn't try to push the conversation toward him condemning what the governors in WI, OH on IN are doing; only what he thought and what he's doing in his state. And the MI governor presented himself quite well in talking about what they're doing to improve MI's financial situation, work with Unions and get jobs back in the state. No interruptions. So refreshing.

 

[ToxicAdam]

Agreed. Virtually all comments sections on news sites are worthless.

The only time I ever feel enlightened by comments on a site are science or tech blogs/sites that have moderation. The average user is more likely to be college educated and have some wherewithal about posting etiquette.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

The only time I ever feel enlightened by comments on a site are science or tech blogs/sites that have moderation. The average user is more likely to be college educated and have some wherewithal about posting etiquette.

Concur.

Most of the time, it's just ignorant people shouting at other ignorant people.

 

[Flynn]

I don't see the need for comments at all. They are never enlightening and quite often depressing. Doesn't matter what news site you are talking about.

Editors will never get rid of them because they love pageviews and trolls re-click because they want to see the shitstorm they stirred up.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

I like NPR a lot, and quite happy that Houston is FINALLY getting it 24/7. Granted, it sucks that we are losing Rice Radio instead, but whatever.

My only problem with NPR is when they do human interest stories about "down home" living or something. They have this weird, happy voice that is just grating to me and makes me want to punch the reporter through the radio. I can't be the only one that experiences this rage at that voice.

 

[SolKane]

Could have something to do with the recent case in Indiana:

In rulings this week and last week, Marion Superior Court Judge S.K. Reid became the first judge in Indiana to rule on whether the state journalism shield law protects media outlets from being forced to disclose names of anonymous posters on their websites or other identifying information about those posters, said Kevin Betz, an attorney for Jeffrey Miller, former chief executive of Junior Achievement of Central Indiana.

The rulings came in a defamation lawsuit Miller filed last year. He is seeking to broaden the list of defendants in his case to include people who criticized him anonymously last year on websites run by The Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis Business Journal and WRTV (Channel 6).

Maybe this isn't so much about "damage control" but a preventative measure.

 

[LuCkymoON]

I like NPR a lot, and quite happy that Houston is FINALLY getting it 24/7. Granted, it sucks that we are losing Rice Radio instead, but whatever.

My only problem with NPR is when they do human interest stories about "down home" living or something. They have this weird, happy voice that is just grating to me and makes me want to punch the reporter through the radio. I can't be the only one that experiences this rage at that voice.

I've always thought Houston always had a 24/7 NPR affiliate like DFW's KERA.

 

[polyh3dron]

They're liberal because they don't shill for conservatives.

..nevermind going to conservative think tanks for everything.

dingdingding

If you don't exclusively cite studies from The Heritage Foundation (they're for HERITAGE therefore they are good) and Americans For Prosperity (they're Americans who want America to prosper, if you disagree with them you hate America and don't want Americans to prosper) then you are TEH LIBRUL BIAS

 

[Stinkles]

you need to be registered to comment anonymously?

um...

Just a barrier to prevent the kind of driveby racism and stupidity you get on local newspaper sites. Also 2nd ammendment guys troll big city newspaper sites regularly.

 

[Trent Strong]

Bloggingheads tv is better than NPR. Everyone on NPR has a pretentious sounding voice. Quit whispering!

 

[ZealousD]

I was exaggerating, but yeah, I was probably listening to the wrong segments, since I was listening to it in podcast form.

You should listen to Snap Judgment.

Science Friday section http://sciencefriday.com/

THAR IT IS. LIBRUL BIAS!

Bloggingheads tv is better than NPR. Everyone on NPR has a pretentious sounding voice. Quit whispering!

Diane Rehm doesn't sound particularly pretentious. She just sounds really, really, really old.

 

[GhaleonQ]

Slightly off-topic:

Are NPR and PBS considered liberal outlets because of allegedly biased reporting or because of their audience? To me, NPR is some of the most quality journalism out there, and the though of someone calling them biased kinda upsets me.

National? No. Establishment-defending, maybe.

Local? Yes. This is what people mean. Attention gets directed to the national body, however.

Bloggingheads tv is better than NPR. Everyone on NPR has a pretentious sounding voice. Quit whispering!

To be fair, if the alternative is Ann Althouse or Jane Hamsher...

 

[Trent Strong]

National? No. Establishment-defending, maybe.

Local? Yes. This is what people mean. Attention gets directed to the national body, however.



To be fair, if the alternative is Ann Althouse or Jane Hamsher...

Yeah, some people on Bloggingheads are unlistenable, but their political podcasts always have someone from the right and left, so you can at least hear both sides of the issue. And Robert Wright is awesome.

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

Diane Rehm doesn't sound particularly pretentious. She just sounds really, really, really old.

Oh god yes, so annoying to listen to her. Can't believe she has 2 full hours in my morning commute, her sections would probably only be an hour long if they were done by someone who talked at normal speed.

 

[Orayn]

Concur.

Most of the time, it's just ignorant people shouting at other ignorant people.

Pretty much. I always cringe whenever I read the comments on science stories on most general news sites, just because you always get some asshat who shows up and goes off about BIG PHARMA, claims algebra isn't real, says that science is worthless because weather forecasts aren't always accurate, etc.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Sounds like they're learning from NeoGAF.

Heavy moderation increases the quality of discourse on relatively anonymous forums.

Unless you are in the Android thread where three posters in a row are saying that Android's dominance is inevitable, and you respond by simply posting a legitimate, top-of-Google news story from a respected tech news outlet that has scientific polling data that disagrees with that viewpoint. Then you'll have a mod respond to you by dropping not-so-subtle hints about people getting banned...