NPR President Katherine Maher met with a Republican senator and introduced a new layer of editorial review following accusations of significant bias within the organization.
Amidst allegations of political bias at National Public Radio (NPR), President Katherine Maher skipped a congressional hearing, sparking further scrutiny of the organization. In response, NPR has rolled out a new editorial review process.
Republican Senator Kevin Cramer, who led a letter to Maher expressing concerns about bias, met with her on Wednesday. The senator said Maher acknowledged the issue and "validated the concerns that I raised."
Cramer's letter, signed by six other Republican senators, highlighted concerns raised by former senior editor Uri Berliner in a scathing essay. Berliner alleged a lack of Republican representation in editorial positions and criticized editorial decisions on various current events.
Berliner's essay ignited renewed criticism from Republicans and threats to review funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which partially funds NPR. According to Cramer, Maher emphasized their ongoing efforts to provide more balanced and fair journalism during their meeting.
In response to the fallout, NPR's acting chief content officer, SVP, and editor-in-chief, Edith Chapin, announced a new editorial review layer for content division staff. The process includes a "backstop" where senior-level editors not involved in developing content will conduct final editorial reviews of all journalism across NPR platforms.
While Cramer appreciated the intent, he expressed concerns about the implementation, stating that three homogeneous, left-wing Democrat editors would not increase oversight but rather validate bias.
Maher has also faced scrutiny for her own views, with old social media posts demonstrating support for President Biden and Democrat policies resurfacing. However, Cramer said this was not discussed during their meeting, which he characterized as pleasant.
Despite NPR's move to address concerns, Cramer indicated that defunding is still a possibility. He added that "public radio could easily be talked into not funding."
The meeting and editorial review rollout follow a summer of controversy for NPR, with critics accusing the organization of a liberal bias. The allegations have sparked concerns among Republicans who provide funding to NPR.
