NPR in turmoil after accusation of liberal bias, progressive views

Leaders stand by the journalism, values, internal culture of the national radio news organization

NPR is facing both internal tumult and a fusillade of attacks by prominent conservatives this week after a senior editor publicly claimed the broadcaster had allowed liberal bias to affect its coverage, risking its trust with audiences.

Uri Berliner, a senior business editor who has worked at NPR for 25 years, wrote in an essay published Tuesday by The Free Press, a popular Substack publication, that “people at every level of NPR have comfortably coalesced around the progressive worldview.”

Berliner castigated NPR for what he said was a litany of journalistic missteps around coverage of several major news events, including the origins of COVID19 and the war in the Gaza Strip. He also said the internal culture had placed race and identity as “paramount in nearly every aspect of the workplace.”

Berliner’s essay has ignited a firestorm of criticism of NPR on social media, especially among conservatives who have long accused the network of political bias in its reporting. Former President Donald Trump took to social media to argue that NPR’s government funding should be rescinded, an argument he has made in the past.

NPR has forcefully pushed back on Berliner’s accusations and the criticism.

“We’re proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories,” Edith Chapin, the organization’s editor-in-chief, said in an email to staff Tuesday. “We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world.”

Tony Cavin, NPR’s managing editor of standards and practices, said in an interview he rejected all of Berliner’s claims of unfairness, adding his remarks would probably make it harder for NPR journalists to do their jobs.

“The next time one of our people calls up a Republican congressman or something and tries to get an answer from them, they may well say, ‘Oh, I read these stories; you guys aren’t fair, so I’m not going to talk to you,’ ” Cavin said.

Eric Deggans, NPR’s TV critic, faulted Berliner for not giving NPR an opportunity to comment on the piece.

In an interview Thursday, Berliner expressed no regrets about publishing the essay, saying he loved NPR and hoped to make it better by airing criticisms.