NPR "Liberal Bias", Continued

LAST NIGHT I engaged in what NPR calls a "driveway moment," whereby I literally sat in my parked car in my driveway with my daughter, both of us unwilling to walk away from a riveting piece about an Iraq War veteran's scary struggle with the effects of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

This was one in a series of in-depth investigative reports by NPR and Pro-Publica, a non-profit investigative journalism organization, about how the U.S. military has not grappled sufficiently with the aftereffects of TBI (traumatic brain injury) and PTSD among those who have suffered them in action, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan. The result of these reports has been some very public responses by our miltary and veterans affairs officials that treatment of service members with these maladies needs reform and improvement. This is a case of where journalism is truly making a difference.

Moreover, the stories you hear -- from the service members themselves and the families who through hell to care for them -- are chilling and heartbreaking. In addition to spurring better handling of these wounded warriors, the stories on this NPR series remind us, as Marine Lt. Gen. John Kelly did in this recent Washington Post article, of the continued sacrifice a relative few Americans are making on behalf of the country. "We are in a life-and-death struggle, but not our whole country," said Kelly, whose own son, a Marine, was killed in Afghanistan last November. "One percent of Americans are touched by this war. Then there is a much smaller club of families who have given all." At the very least (and this is not much), the rest of us owe it to them to pay attention, to keep their plight from being out of sight and out of mind.

I could -- maybe should -- go on about that, but I'm still thinking about my post the other day on NPR and the reaction to it. As I expected, not everyone agrees with me that notions that NPR is guilty of "liberal bias" are misplaced. Fair enough, I suppose. As I said, I think it's all about what appears in the eye of the beholder.

Still, when I encounter work like the NPR series on brain injury and PTSD among the military, I can't understand what these other eyes are beholding. Tell me, please, where is the "liberal bias" in this journalism? Is it "liberal" to raise a mirror up to our government about something it might want to improve? And since when is it "liberal" to be standing up for the needs of people in the military service? If anything, hasn't the right claimed that for itself?

And please detail for me how this particular bit of journalism differs from all the rest that NPR generates daily -- indeed, around the clock. Is this an anomoly?

I guess I still don't get it. .

Jeff

Comments

[Mark Solomon]

That was one of the best stories that I have ever heard on NPR!

[Kevin]

Hey Jeff, how's it going?
My last job title in the military was NCOIC (non commissioned officer in charge) of the Surgical ICU for an airborne surgical team. It was my privilege to provide front line surgical support to some of America's most incredible spec ops soldiers while working side-by-side with some brilliant surgeons. I am also a disabled vet, and I have received very good care from the VA. I completely agree with you on this point. I don't see how caring for soldiers can be seen as conservative or liberal.

[Sherry]

Jeff, I think there is a bigger issue here. Is there any other place where stories like this are told? Over and over again, from Marketplace and Studio 360 to Terri Gross, there is news I just don't see or hear anywhere else. In a comment to an NPR story in the Columbus Dispatch, someone said, "go to ClearChannel if you want AM news information." That shows that most/many? people only want the shallowest of information, even on some of the most important stories of the age. My husband and I have spent many moments like Jeff, sitting in our driveway while we listen with our children to a fascinating story airing on NPR or listening with joy over piece of music. NPR has vastly expanded our universe!

[Moshe Avram]

Al Jazeera's pretty good...er liberal... too. Good luck finding it on U.S. cable services though.... Hooray for the Internet!

As for the liberal bias @ NPR, I say "absolutely!" and we liberals ..and everyone else who values high quality commercial free news...should be damned proud of it. Liberal and liberty (the latter one of W.'s favorite terms with his little Texas twang) share the same root. So, not only is there nothing to be defensive about, NPR and its fans should be bragging about it.

I have a new slogan for NPR "The Proud Home of Liberal Bias!" In other words, Fox News can kiss my Liberal Social Democrat NPR-loving butt.

'Nuff said :o)