{"id":610130,"date":"2021-08-03T17:21:29","date_gmt":"2021-08-03T21:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=610130"},"modified":"2021-08-03T17:21:31","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T21:21:31","slug":"npr-announces-journalists-will-now-be-allowed-to-openly-engage-in-political-activism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/npr-announces-journalists-will-now-be-allowed-to-openly-engage-in-political-activism\/","title":{"rendered":"NPR Announces Journalists Will Now Be Allowed To Openly Engage In Political Activism"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnpr-announces-journalists-will-now-be-allowed-to-openly-engage-in-political-activism%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=610130&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/NPR-e1603383820747.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Taxpayers are raising renewed calls to defund NPR after the public broadcaster announced that journalists can now openly advocate for a litany of hot-button political topics.<\/p>\n<p>Last month, National Public Radio loosened its ethics policy, which long prevented correspondents from taking a public position on \u201ccontroversial\u201d or \u201cpolarizing\u201d issues, or participating in politically themed demonstrations. NPR Public Editor Kelly McBride <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/publiceditor\/2021\/07\/29\/1021802098\/new-npr-ethics-policy-its-ok-for-journalists-to-demonstrate-sometimes\">announced<\/a> on July 29:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"25\">\n<p><em>The new policy eliminates the blanket prohibition from participating in \u201cmarches, rallies and public events,\u201d as well as vague language that directed&nbsp;NPR&nbsp;journalists to avoid personally advocating for \u201ccontroversial\u201d or \u201cpolarizing\u201d issues. \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The new&nbsp;NPR&nbsp;policy reads, \u201cNPR&nbsp;editorial staff may express support for democratic, civic values that are core to&nbsp;NPR\u2019s work, such as, but not limited to: the freedom and dignity of human beings, the rights of a free and independent press, the right to thrive in society without facing discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, disability, or religion.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIs it OK to march in a demonstration and say, \u2018Black lives matter\u2019? What about a [Gay] Pride parade? In theory, the answer today is, \u2018Yes,\u2019\u201d wrote McBride.<\/p>\n<p>NPR\u2019s newly adopted position conflicts with the Society of Professional Journalists\u2019 Code of Ethics, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spj.org\/ethicscode.asp\">holds<\/a> that reporters should \u201cavoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage credibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NPR\u2019s new open-bias policy will bolster many of its journalists. For instance, NPR\u2019s Mara Liasson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/msnbcs-brian-williams-equates-antifa-with-d-day-veterans\">compared Antifa<\/a> rioters to U.S. veterans storming Omaha Beach on D-Day. But the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/former-cnn-employee-says-outlet-has-no-real-ethical-code\">flexibility<\/a> it allows bosses to determine appropriate activism could muzzle center-Right NPR employees.<\/p>\n<p>Theoretically, letting NPR journalists advocate for the \u201cdignity of human beings\u201d means they could take part in the annual <a href=\"https:\/\/marchforlife.org\/\">March for Life<\/a> and proclaim the <a href=\"https:\/\/therightswriter.com\/2014\/09\/ronald-reagan-spoke-about-fetal-pain-and-personhood\/\">personhood<\/a> of unborn children on social media. Giving NPR reporters the right to advocate for Americans \u201cfacing discrimination on the basis of \u2026 religion\u201d means correspondents could \u201cexpress support\u201d for Masterpiece Cake owner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/baker-jack-phillips-targeted-for-christian-beliefs-still-fighting-in-court-after-trans-activist-asks-for-trans-celebration-cake\">Jack Phillips<\/a>, Washington florist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/religios-freedeom-win-scotus-invalidates-ruling-hank-berrien\">Baronelle Stutzman<\/a>, and former Kentucky county clerk <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/marriage-licenses-not-enough-now-vindictive-aaron-bandler\">Kim Davis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In reality, this new policy does not mean anything goes. McBride noted that NPR personalities would still have to \u201cdiscuss specific decisions with their bosses,\u201d whose bias has been clear for years.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in 2018, \u201cMorning Edition\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/media\/369843-npr-host-refers-to-protest-as-the-so-called-march-for-life\">reporter<\/a> Rachel Martin derisively <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=thcf1MQaVPI\">called<\/a> the nation\u2019s largest pro-life event \u201cthe so-called March for Life.\u201d (She later <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aim.org\/on-target-blog\/npr-host-apologized-for-so-called-remark-referring-to-march-for-life-rally\/\">apologized<\/a>.) The following year, NPR issued an official \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/memmos\/2019\/05\/15\/723678750\/guidance-reminder-on-abortion-procedures-terminology-rights\">Guidance Reminder<\/a>\u201d&nbsp;that journalists should never say the phrase \u201cthe unborn,\u201d declaring, \u201cBabies are not babies until they are born.\u201d (They were also told to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/walsh-npr-gave-guidance-what-words-use-when-matt-walsh\">replace<\/a> the clear term \u201cpartial birth abortion\u201d with \u201cintact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HEioy6x9hj8\">dilation and extraction<\/a>,\u201d and they were forbidden from using any wording that would result in the phrase \u201cpro-abortion\u201d being uttered on the air.) NPR has also engaged in <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210121184840\/https:\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/npr-bogus-headline\/\">erroneous reporting<\/a> about the pro-life group <a href=\"http:\/\/liveaction.org\/\">Live Action<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NPR anchor refers to &quot;so-called&quot; March for Life\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/thcf1MQaVPI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p>Despite letting newscasters protest religious discrimination, Catholic League President William Donohue cited numerous examples of NPR coverage that he sees as anti-Catholic, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>2005: NPR questioned the religion of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. NPR\u2019s Lynn Neary wondered that since he is a&nbsp;Catholic whether \u201cthat might affect the way he views an issue like abortion, for instance.\u201d Nina Totenberg of NPR even went so far as to say that his wife was \u201ca high officer of a pro-life organization. He\u2019s got adopted children. I mean, he\u2019s a conservative Catholic.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>2006: Pope Benedict XVI\u2019s visit to Turkey was used by NPR as an occasion to lecture the pope on being sensitive to Muslims by not making any overtly Catholic comments or gestures. It cited prayer and kneeling as examples.<\/li>\n<li>2007: When Samuel Alito was nominated to the high court, NPR\u2019s Dahlia Lithwick said, \u201cPeople are very, very much talking about the fact that Alito would be the fifth Catholic in the Supreme Court if confirmed.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>2014: An NPR game show, \u201cWait Wait Don\u2019t Tell Me!\u201d, made fun of Jesus dying on the Cross. Sexual references to Jesus were also made.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThis is the kind of bias that NPR evinced before its new ethics policy was promulgated,\u201d Donohue said. \u201cWe can only guess how bad things will become now that its reporters can engage in direct activism with impunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to the federally funded agency\u2019s new policy, Donohue is asking all Americans to cut off the spigot of taxpayer dollars flowing to National Public Radio.&nbsp;\u201cWe are contacting all members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees asking that they defund NPR,\u201d Donohue announced.<\/p>\n<p>He asked his readers to contact the ranking minority members of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittees of the Appropriations Committees in Congress \u2014 Rep. Tom Cole\u2019s legislative director, <a href=\"mailto:joshua.grogis@mail.house.gov\">Joshua Grogis<\/a>, and Senator Roy Blunt\u2019s legislative director, <a href=\"mailto:Dan_Burgess@Blunt.senate.gov\">Dan Burgess<\/a> \u2014 and ask them to reduce NPR funding to zero.<\/p>\n<p>The late Congressman Phil Crane (R-IL), the former chairman of the American Conservative Union, regularly introduced bills to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/amendment\/105th-congress\/house-amendment\/345?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22broadcasting%22%2C%22broadcasting%22%5D%7D&amp;s=2&amp;r=12\"><span>defund<\/span><\/a>, and then&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/104th-congress\/house-bill\/208\/text\"><span>abolish<\/span><\/a> the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the 1990s over its biased coverage and lack of clear constitutional authorization.<\/p>\n<p>The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the fully taxpayer-funded entity which funds NPR, reports an annual budget of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpb.org\/aboutcpb\/financials\/budget\">$445.5 million<\/a> in 2021.<\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Taxpayers are raising renewed calls to defund NPR after the public broadcaster announced that journalists can now openly advocate for a litany of hot-button political topics.Last month, National Public Radio &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-610130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=610130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/610130\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=610130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=610130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=610130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}