It's why I stopped listening to and supporting NPR. They've treated Trump like he was just another President since he was running in 2015. And look what it got them. The likelihood of being abolished.
Trump rallies, frequent but frequently smaller than anti maga events routinely get coverage. Of course the maga diner interviews have become a meme. But NPR only interviewed in-house talking heads and analysts. None of the people protesting. None of the various organizations behind the marches. So of course all that they were left with was crowd size. But even that, the depth and breadth and scope, would and should have been a larger story. Perhaps next time someone can stand on a stage for 30 minutes and sway to a recording of Ave Maria. That'll draw some eyeballs.
Very good framing. Major media organizations have mostly failed in their duties of reporting facts that matter to the public.
I would think that NPR's Kelly McBride would have a different take on the protests. She wrote "Updates on ethical decision-making in newsrooms big and small". She also headed a project "...exploring the changes in journalism from a profession for a few to a civic obligation of many". [Thanks Wikipedia]
NPR has been on the far right's proposed chopping block practically from its inception. If she is minimizing the importance of the protests to avoid angering Trump, it's way past too late for that.
“The individual protests themselves are unlikely to become significant news events,” says one of the people who decide whether something is a significant news event.
“Instead, NPR's best service is to describe the broader implications of the protests, if and when those implications are clear and significant.”
Right, because those protests were so ambiguous and unclear. I was there and I don’t even know why. It was like a fugue state.
Some wind and a little rain fell in Western North Carolina, nothing more than a one day story. Children becoming ill and dying from a near extinct and preventable disease. Local interest perhaps, not significant enough for national coverage. A trans athlete who graduated three years ago placed fifth in a women's event. Our panel will discuss after this update from our reporting team.
"if and when those implications are clear and significant."
You know, if the protests actually accomplish something, we'll report on that, while doing everything we can to ensure they don't accomplish something.
I find NPR not very compelling! Twenty years ago I listed NPR and Seattle’s affiliate stations in my will with significant gifts. I removed them and turned off the donations when they normalized Trump during his “debates” with Clinton. There is no reason to pay them any attention. I see them as Fox News lite.
While it's incredibly hard to work with ACLU in this moment, I also feel incredible gratitude that I can document these protests as part of our programmatic work.
We took extra steps to protect people's identities, which is a bit of a challenge at this moment.
Here's a couple examples for those interested in uplifting these messages:
The media gave us hundreds of “Trump supporters continue to support Trump” stories the past decade. A Trump supporter in a diner? Gold!
Hundreds of thousands of people protesting Trump? YAWN!
It's why I stopped listening to and supporting NPR. They've treated Trump like he was just another President since he was running in 2015. And look what it got them. The likelihood of being abolished.
Trump rallies, frequent but frequently smaller than anti maga events routinely get coverage. Of course the maga diner interviews have become a meme. But NPR only interviewed in-house talking heads and analysts. None of the people protesting. None of the various organizations behind the marches. So of course all that they were left with was crowd size. But even that, the depth and breadth and scope, would and should have been a larger story. Perhaps next time someone can stand on a stage for 30 minutes and sway to a recording of Ave Maria. That'll draw some eyeballs.
There is that and the punch-drunk YMCA anthem we get to see over and over.
I seem to recall the Tea Party getting quite a lot of news attention from the mainstream media, including NPR.
Errm, arrgh, black president bad. Make economy bad. Big tax bad. Death panel bad. Errm, arrgh. Obama care communism. FREEDOM!
Very good framing. Major media organizations have mostly failed in their duties of reporting facts that matter to the public.
I would think that NPR's Kelly McBride would have a different take on the protests. She wrote "Updates on ethical decision-making in newsrooms big and small". She also headed a project "...exploring the changes in journalism from a profession for a few to a civic obligation of many". [Thanks Wikipedia]
NPR has been on the far right's proposed chopping block practically from its inception. If she is minimizing the importance of the protests to avoid angering Trump, it's way past too late for that.
“The individual protests themselves are unlikely to become significant news events,” says one of the people who decide whether something is a significant news event.
“Instead, NPR's best service is to describe the broader implications of the protests, if and when those implications are clear and significant.”
Right, because those protests were so ambiguous and unclear. I was there and I don’t even know why. It was like a fugue state.
Some wind and a little rain fell in Western North Carolina, nothing more than a one day story. Children becoming ill and dying from a near extinct and preventable disease. Local interest perhaps, not significant enough for national coverage. A trans athlete who graduated three years ago placed fifth in a women's event. Our panel will discuss after this update from our reporting team.
"if and when those implications are clear and significant."
You know, if the protests actually accomplish something, we'll report on that, while doing everything we can to ensure they don't accomplish something.
I find NPR not very compelling! Twenty years ago I listed NPR and Seattle’s affiliate stations in my will with significant gifts. I removed them and turned off the donations when they normalized Trump during his “debates” with Clinton. There is no reason to pay them any attention. I see them as Fox News lite.
Ms. McBride, your disdain for regular Americans is showing.
100000%
While it's incredibly hard to work with ACLU in this moment, I also feel incredible gratitude that I can document these protests as part of our programmatic work.
We took extra steps to protect people's identities, which is a bit of a challenge at this moment.
Here's a couple examples for those interested in uplifting these messages:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIeRFltM9v6/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIFUgaIKMlm/
NPR during Civil War: "The Confederacy just wants states' rights without Federal impositions", story on pg 18.
For fun go to NPR.org and search The Tea Party in America and see how many stories appear.
https://www.npr.org/series/130538063/the-tea-party-in-america/archive?date=10-31-2009