Will NPR save the news in America?

[Pat Coyle]

Fast Company...In one of the great undertold media success stories of the past decade, NPR has emerged as a massive news machine poised for what one exec half-jokingly calls "world domination." NPR's listenership has nearly doubled since 1999, even as newspaper circulation dropped off a cliff. Its programming now reaches 26.4 million listeners weekly -- far more than USA Today's 2.3 million daily circ or Fox News' 2.8 million prime-time audience. When newspapers were closing bureaus, NPR was opening them, and now runs 38 around the world, better than CNN. It has 860 member stations -- "boots on the ground in every town" that no newspaper or TV network can claim. Does NPR have the only viable media model? Will not for profit journalism fill the commercial void growing in commercial journalism as newspapers die? Share your thoughts here.

[benjamintraub]

lets take this point by point because calling facts "misleading" because you dont like them doesnt make your point any stronger:

1. on average, most NPR stations only get 20-30% of their operational revenue from public donations. that doesnt mean that huge multi-nationals and corporations that pony up the rest dont have a hand in what is reported or broadcast. success for a non-for profit is existence, especially these days.

2. correct... not the same game at all. NPR is there to report, clearly, and in a digestible way. for profit news agencies are playing the game of selling ad space and making money off of that. see #1 (in that, existence is key, not total dollars grossed from profit)

3. the Neilsen facade has long been pulled back to note just this, but listenership is more accurately recorded when there are less commercials allowing the listener to turn the dial.

4. bringing up FOX watchers isnt getting your point across. hell, the skyline at 86th has it on all day. does that count as me watching for a half an hour if i go there for lunch? again, im not getting news, im getting commercials.

5. correct. newspapers are losing profit. the most direct tie is to the use of the internet. not by satellite radio subscriptions (the killer of radio as the web is to paper.) NPR is open because the have funding provided by people and boards and corps that want them to be in existence, not because an auto dealership or mattress store is having an Easter sale.

6. it would be better for fox to HAVE member stations... oh wait, they do. locally its channel 59. channel 11 for Brighthouse users. yes its a network affiliate, but national pulls news from locals and uses regional reporters for their on the scene feeds.

NPR works because it knows how to. locally, WFYI has done everything from cut 10% of full time staff to getting rid of discounts to the YMCA, and has suspended matching on retirement investments. it fills the void that many citizens stare into when they want a story and hear blatant bullshit. as to its left leaning-ness, Ken Rudin, NPR's political editor, commented last fall that yes, people that work there could be considered what FOX has deemed liberal - most dont attend religious services, fewer own guns, and most are privileged white people that vote personally on issues that effect more than privileged white people.

i dont hear stations that carry Rush or Savage take the time to share stories and views of the local, regional, national community. they are their own community and speak to a select few. its entertainment. NPR is a resource.

here, lemme write that again...

NPR isnt just entertainment, its a resource.

therein, the difference in why, even while struggling, it is successful.

[Pat Coyle]

Nice discussion, guys. I should mention...I lifted those stats out of a FAST Company article...the link to that article is at the top of the page. I found it interesting - and thought Smoosiers would like to read it - in light of the fact that our Smaller IN media survey showed that WFYI is the preferred news talk station among Smoosiers...I showed that stat to some folks at WFYI and I also showed them that in our Mock Election, Smaller IN voters were split nearly 50/50 for Obama and McCain. That seemed to surprise them.

[Steve Stuck]

NPR doesn't pay taxes like other media outlets do when they get advertising dollars. That is a crime in itself since media was supposed to be the buffer between citizens and government. I have listened to NPR and I usually tune out because it is boring and usually just repeats the news that is surface level.

Traditional news is failing because of context and the shift to blogging news sites and places like the DrudgeReport is not suprising. People want the reporters to report not just one side of the news, but usually 3-4 angles so they can make a judgement call for themselves. Bloggers are doing an excellent job of exposing a lot of stuff today when it happens. Reporters just say one thing and then want everyone to hold them up on an intellectual pedestal as if they are some god.

As far as this localism verbage being talked of by some, localism is just more code for government intervention in media. Government officials will say, "The public airwaves....". The public cannot capture the airwaves and put it in a bag and its theirs. The public airwaves do not exist and the localism debate is just for those who hate competition and public dissent.

[benjamintraub]

i dont hate competition.

[Gus Pearcy]

I have always held NPR in high esteem. I like their coverage and I believe it is as balanced as it comes. I'm not sure how it can be labeled as liberal. Oftentimes, the shows bring in subjects to interview them. Asking tough questions is not the same as having a bent towards one worldview.

I also don't understand the same playing field argument. So NPR doesn't pay taxes, how does that figure into its news coverage?

I saw late last week that a bill has been introduced in Congress that would allow newspaper companies to reconfigure as nonprofit entities. I thought that was interesting.

[Stephen James]

This question was not about editorial (news or commentary) slant. I have that discussion it seems like weekly with others.

I'm highly interested in the idea of non-profit and privately owned journalism. I don't think investigative news can be profitable and therefore sustain the interests of shareholders, but is a necessity of our society/government relationship.

Blogging can take over the commentary side of news for all I care. It's cheap to do. The proportion of commentary will continue to grow as long as news is run as a profit making business.

[Arik Flanders]

Of course not. Half of there stories seem irrelevant or useless. Not to mention the fact that they (in my opinion) appear to be politically bias. Not to the extreme, but just enough to be misleading.

I suppose my question then, is how are they different then any other news source? Nearly all of there practices are flawed...with the exception of Fox News of course :)

[Michael J Dukehart, II]

I tolerate the news but stay for the Prairie.

Seriously....got into NPR with 9/11 and have stayed ever since. I am a supporter because they offer more that just Britney and Madonna updates.

[Genie Goykhberg]

hot topic... hmmmm...

Of course their bias!

Where their money came from again? Do some research, never hurts…

You'll have to take my word for it.
English is not my first language, neither its my second, or third - I mean that when NPR translates from foreign languages the translations is... how can I be politically correct here... is not quite accurate.
at least those languages that I can understand

THEY are MISLEADING! Therefore those who follow NPR without a critical thinking approach is MISLEADED.

As simple as that!

and what is real frustrating... the style resemble me the Soviet Era journalism...

you don’t want to go to that direction - trust us ex-Soviets: It Does NOT Work!
The entire Russia would be happy to move here in US land. The reason those nations hate us (who cares anyway?) because they cannot be us (or US ;)

[benjamintraub]

good point that to listen and come to a conclusion without critical thinking makes any consumption of news as useless as not listening, reading, or watching any news at all.

but to say that the style represents soviet era journalism is insulting to the writers and readers. if anything, the nationalistic, non-critical commercial media is more at fault for NOT asking the tough questions and giving citizens the party line.

good point, its just backwards.

[Jean Palmer Heck]

I hope it continues to grow. The quality of their programming is excellent. I'm glad to see that at least one news media outlet is thriving.

[Lalita Amos]

Pat, I think the entire fabric of news content, delivery and consumption is being transformed and NPR (along with the Kindle, blogs and Sirius/XM) is an important part of that. What I love about NPR are the stories they provide that give "color and shape"--the background--to issues and events that I wouldn't get elsewhere and that they have a serious commitment to viewing stories from diverse points of view not commonly heard. If I had to choose my TV or NPR, I know which one I'd pick...

Because when I was a po' grad student, I had to.