Some Things NPR Doesn’t Tell Its Listeners About the “Iranian Nukes” Controversy
March 25, 2015
Lost in the Spin Zone
Some Things NPR Doesnt Tell Its Listeners
About the Iranian Nukes Controversy
by HENRY NORR
I never expect much from the U.S. mainstream media, especially when it comes to the Middle East, but still Ive been genuinely shocked by the sorry coverage of the conflict surrounding Irans nuclear program and Netanyahus recent speech to Congress.
As other critics have already pointed out, the biggest problem is not so much what the media have been reporting as what they leave out: not just critical perspectives, but also undisputed facts that are essential to understanding the situation. See, for example, Somebody Needs to Tell The NY Times: Israel Has The Bomb, by TimesWarps Barbara Erickson and What Was Missing From Coverage of Netanyahus Speech by Fairness & Accuracy In Reportings Jim Naureckas.
But for me, beyond the New York Times website, my main exposure to the mainstream media is National Public Radio, and I havent seen any detailed analysis of its handling of the Iran nuclear issue. Ive had the impression that its coverage has been at least as bad as the print medias, but I dont listen to all of its news broadcasts, so to be sure to be fair, Ive spent the last few days burrowing through transcripts of past broadcasts at the NPR website. (The audio archives and transcripts there dont include the networks top-of-the-hour headlines, just the regular segments from Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and other NPR-produced shows, but theres no reason to think the short headlines are much different from whats archived.)
What I found was even more appalling than Id anticipated. Not that theres been a lack of attention on the contrary, just in the last 30 days (through March 15) the networks two daily newscasts Morning Edition and All Things Considered have a run a total of 23 segments containing both the words Netanyahu and Iran. But even with all that coverage, here are some of the things NPR hasnt found time to tell its listeners:
More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/03/25/some-things-npr-doesnt-tell-its-listeners-%e2%80%a8about-the-iranian-nukes-controversy/
Mika
(17,751 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)**How often has Porter been interviewed on NPR? Exactly once, in a 2008 segment on Shiite militias in Iraq (and to add insult to injury the networks transcript of that one identifies his comments as coming from BLOCK presumably a confusion with host Melissa Block, though she and Porter dont sound much alike!)
I should not laugh, it is sad as well as a dangerous irresponsible tactic they use. NPR
is so not interested in accuracy in reporting...not interested in providing another view
point/opinion/facts.