Post by aj2hall on Apr 17, 2024 20:22:05 GMT
steveinskeep.substack.com/p/how-my-npr-colleague-failed-at-viewpoint
How my NPR colleague failed at “viewpoint diversity”
Uri Berliner gave a perfect example of the kind of journalism he says he’s against.
STEVE INSKEEP
A careful read of the article shows many sweeping statements for which the writer is unable to offer evidence. He says there is no debate over stories at NPR, just a “frictionless” process like an “assembly line.” I have been involved in passionate debates over stories at Morning Edition, as Uri knows; I have sometimes relied on his advice. Uri is a prominent editor—did he approve bad stories without friction?
He writes of a dismaying experience with his managers: “I asked why we keep using that word that many Hispanics hate—Latinx.”
Why indeed? It’s true that many Latinos don’t like this ungendered term, including some who work at NPR. That may be why NPR does not generally use the term. I did a search at npr.org for the previous 90 days. I found:
197 uses of Latino
201 uses of Latina
And just nine uses of “Latinx,” usually by a guest on NPR who certainly has the right to say it.
Like Uri, I often have opinions about NPR’s coverage. Sometimes I am right; and sometimes I check the easily searchable archives and discover I am wrong. I wish he’d done the same.
Above all, Uri calls for “viewpoint diversity” but did not seem to embrace it for this article. He didn’t seek comment from anyone or otherwise engage anyone who had a different point of view. The failure to vet the story may explain why the errors and omissions all go in one direction, toward confirming the writer’s pre-existing opinions.
How my NPR colleague failed at “viewpoint diversity”
Uri Berliner gave a perfect example of the kind of journalism he says he’s against.
STEVE INSKEEP
A careful read of the article shows many sweeping statements for which the writer is unable to offer evidence. He says there is no debate over stories at NPR, just a “frictionless” process like an “assembly line.” I have been involved in passionate debates over stories at Morning Edition, as Uri knows; I have sometimes relied on his advice. Uri is a prominent editor—did he approve bad stories without friction?
He writes of a dismaying experience with his managers: “I asked why we keep using that word that many Hispanics hate—Latinx.”
Why indeed? It’s true that many Latinos don’t like this ungendered term, including some who work at NPR. That may be why NPR does not generally use the term. I did a search at npr.org for the previous 90 days. I found:
197 uses of Latino
201 uses of Latina
And just nine uses of “Latinx,” usually by a guest on NPR who certainly has the right to say it.
Like Uri, I often have opinions about NPR’s coverage. Sometimes I am right; and sometimes I check the easily searchable archives and discover I am wrong. I wish he’d done the same.
Above all, Uri calls for “viewpoint diversity” but did not seem to embrace it for this article. He didn’t seek comment from anyone or otherwise engage anyone who had a different point of view. The failure to vet the story may explain why the errors and omissions all go in one direction, toward confirming the writer’s pre-existing opinions.