Several prominent NPR journalists have been countering conservatives’ criticism of the outlet’s bias after it was sparked by NPR former senior business editor Uri Berliner in a piece pointing out NPR’s "liberal bent."
In a new piece this week describing NPR as being "targeted by conservatives," The Washington Post spoke to NPR employees who insist that there is diversity of thought in their newsroom and dismissed this criticism as the perpetual struggle a "free independent press" has to endure.
The report followed weeks of NPR being in the hot seat after Berliner’s essay in "The Free Press," which accused the outlet of liberal bias in its coverage of Russiagate, the COVID lab leak theory, Hunter Biden’s laptop, and other major political topics.
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Following his essay, the editor was suspended from the outlet and later resigned, giving a statement calling out NPR CEO Katherine Maher for her "divisive views" that "confirm the very problems at NPR I cited in my Free Press essay."
The NPR reporters countered Berliner and other critics’ appraisal of their outlet, with NPR’s "Morning Edition" host Leila Fadel telling The Post about how there is diversity of thought at the outlet.
"We have strong, heated editorial debates every day to try and get the most appropriate language and nuanced reporting in a landscape that is divisive and difficult to work in as a journalist," she insisted.
In addition to calling Berliner’s essay a "bad-faith effort" and "factually inaccurate take on our work," she couched the criticism as typical for people trying to pursue truth in reporting.
"Media and free independent press are often under attack for the fact-based reporting that we do," she declared.
"Weekend Edition" host Ayesha Rascoe blasted Berliner for allegedly not trying to get a quote from NPR to include in his bombshell essay. Suggesting this undermined the integrity of his work, she told The Post he should not "be able to tear down an entire organization’s work without any sort of response or context provided, or pushback."
Accusing him of publishing a bad-faith hit piece, Rascoe added that "the way this has been done — it’s to invalidate all the work NPR does."
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The journalist also noted how the essay will have a negative effect on upcoming reporters, stating, "And my concern is not about me, but all the younger journalists who don’t have the platform I have and who will be attacked and their integrity questioned simply on the basis of who they are."
NPR managing editor of standards and practices Tom Cavin called out Berliner for claiming that NPR’s D.C. bureau employed 87 Democrats and no Republicans for its editorial team.
He told The Post, "I have no idea where he got that number," and added, "I know a number of our hosts and staff are registered as independents."
Cavin also ripped the senior business editor’s business knowledge over his point that NPR is biased also because it interviewed Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., 25 times about Trump-Russian collusion.
Cavin argued NPR had "900 interviews with lawmakers" in that time period, "so that’s 3 percent. He’s a business reporter, he knows about statistics and it seems he’s selectively using statistics."
NPR international correspondent Eyder Peralta told The Washington Post, "I have covered wars, I have been thrown in jail for my work, and for him to question part of what is in our nature, which is intellectual curiosity and that we follow our noses where they lead us, that hurts. And I think that damages NPR."
Fox News Digital reached out to Uri Berliner for comment.
