In recent developments surrounding the alleged political bias at National Public Radio (NPR), president Katherine Maher has met with Republican Senator Kevin Cramer and implemented a new layer of editorial review.
Following a scathing essay by former senior editor Uri Berliner alleging significant bias within the organization, Maher met with Cramer on Wednesday to address the issue. Cramer, who had previously led a letter signed by six other Republican senators expressing concerns, said that Maher acknowledged the problem during their meeting.
To address the concerns, Edith Chapin, NPR’s acting chief content officer, revealed a new editorial review layer to content division staff. This measure aims to ensure that all journalism across NPR platforms undergoes a final editorial review before publication. However, Cramer expressed concerns about the potential for bias in the implementation, suggesting that a homogeneous group of editors could simply validate bias.
Maher has also faced scrutiny for her own views, with old social media posts demonstrating support for President Biden and Democratic policies being brought to light. However, Cramer indicated that this issue was not discussed during their meeting, which he characterized as pleasant.
Despite NPR’s efforts to address concerns, Cramer stated that defunding remains a possibility. He emphasized that he could easily be persuaded to not fund public radio if the issues are not adequately resolved.
