Uri Berliner, the editor, resigned just days after numerous angry colleagues expressed their outrage that his public attacks on the outlet were not only incorrect and self-serving, but also extremely unfair.
According to Berkovitz, many individuals at NPR view him as a traitor. However, he perceives himself not as a whistleblower, but as someone who wants the organization to engage in self-reflection and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
In a controversial op-ed, Berliner, a senior editor for NPR’s business desk with over two decades of experience at the public broadcast service, raised the argument that the outlet has leaned disproportionately towards the left, consequently alienating a wider audience.
During my time at NPR, there was always a liberal bias, but we maintained an open-minded and curious culture. We were nerdy, yet we avoided being knee-jerk, activist, or scolding. However, things have changed, and now NPR seems to be offering only the distilled worldview of a very small portion of the American population.
The publication of the piece last week caused a frenzy in NPR’s newsroom, while leading conservatives lauded Berliner’s rebuke. Staffers have expressed concern that the op-ed poses a threat to them and undermines their work.
In a recent statement, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has once again emphasized the need to “defund NPR” and called on Congress to take action.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential candidate and commentator, recently shared a video online where he praised Berliner for his brave decision to leave the outlet. Ramaswamy described Berliner as “admirable” for defecting from the organization.
NPR has been the target of attacks from right-wing critics who aim to undermine its funding. In response, the outlet made the decision to cease sharing its journalism on the social media platform X. This move came after owner Elon Musk labeled NPR’s account as “state media.”
NPR relies primarily on private sponsorships and user contributions for its funding. Additionally, it receives a smaller portion of its financing from the federal government and member stations.
“I hold a deep respect for the integrity of my colleagues and genuinely hope for NPR’s continued success in producing impactful journalism,” he expressed. “However, I find it untenable to continue working in an environment where the newly appointed CEO’s divisive perspectives only serve to validate the very issues I discussed in my Free Press essay.”
After Berliner’s op-ed was published, Katherine Maher, the former head of Wikimedia who assumed the role of the outlet’s CEO in March, made a reference to the piece in a note to the staff.
She expressed her strong disapproval of questioning the integrity of our people based solely on their identity, stating that it is disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning.
Conservative activists have resurfaced a series of years-old social media posts from Maher that add fuel to the fire. These posts reveal her praise for Democrats and promotion of progressive ideas prior to her assumption of leadership at the company.
During an appearance on cable news channel NewsNation, NPR media reporter David Folkenflik recently discussed the significant impact of Berliner’s piece, stating that it had caused a genuine crisis for the outlet.
NPR responded to Berliner’s suspension by stating that it does not comment on individual personnel matters, including discipline. However, NPR emphasized that it expects all of its employees to comply with the organization’s policies and procedures.
The outlet did not provide any answers regarding their internal plans to address the consequences of the Berliner incident when questioned.
“Our values stem directly from this moment: we prioritize the independence of a public trust, our responsibility is to accurately capture the voice and essence of a nation, and we are willing to push boundaries in order to tell the stories that truly matter,” expressed Maher.
However, numerous individuals within NPR’s staff are eager to witness a stronger and more explicit denouncement of Berliner’s claims from the organization’s leadership.
More than four dozen staffers at NPR have penned a letter addressed to Maher and Chapin, urging them to publicly address the factual inaccuracies and omissions made by Berliner.
According to The New York Times, the staffers wrote that addressing these concerns and improving communication would greatly contribute to rebuilding the collective morale that has been declining over the past week.
However, many people believe that NPR’s reputation has already been tarnished, and the incident with Berliner only serves to highlight the growing divide between political parties in the media.
