How often do you get to say it? Progress! NPR will not air Trump live if he speaks about his indictment today, a small win for common sense. (Some might say microscopic.)

But if you click and listen to NPR's executive editor, Terry Samuel, this may be the closest we get to NPR conceding that its Trump coverage 2016 to now didn't work because it tried to use normal tools and assumptions. To me that's significant, and it almost never happens.

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/03/1167856064/a-peek-behind-the-curtain-of-nprs-coverage-of-trumps-indictment

#uspol #journalism #npr

@jayrosen_nyu There have been other smalll signs of progress. Even Inskeep manages his words a bit better since Rachel Martin left to prostlytize her smarmy spirituality from her own show, while Mara Liasson can sound like Jenn Rubin on some days, lately. Nothing can fix Tamara Keith or Nina Totenberg, however.Both lost causes (with the biggest political beats on NPR).

cc @airbagmoments @driftglass

@shoq @jayrosen_nyu @airbagmoments @driftglass Tamara Keith is a both sides journalist who takes Republican spin at face value. Nina is simply too close to her subjects to give any kind of objective analysis
@MattFerrel Appallingly, for those who don't know, Tamara Keith is current president of the White House Correspondents Association. To my knowledge she remains comment-free about the status of Fox in the WH briefing room.
@jayrosen_nyu Its also not 2016 where Trump was considered an Outsider. Politics are fluid and change.
@jayrosen_nyu
½ of our local news 11pm broadcast last night was devoted to this circus. We aren't even in New York State.
@jayrosen_nyu lol. They interviewed a literal alt-right Nazi chud, in depth, a few years back. You can't tell me it took them THIS long to learn from these mistakes.

@NerdRage42

I can't find anyone claiming that it took seven years to recognize the problem. If you find anyone saying that, I would love to see it.

@jayrosen_nyu really? You couldn't find anyone criticizing NPR for who they were hosting and covering? This isn't meant to be confrontational, but there's plenty of that to be found. I remember growing up believing that NPR had a balanced and unbiased coverage because my father, who was quite liberal, listened to it religiously. But then I ended up with an hour and a half commute each way and started wondering why they make the choices they do in regards to coverage. It became apparent during DT's time in office that they were covering him excessively and the surrounding "controversies" as if they were trying to understand fascism instead of denouncing it and question it's/their methods. They didn't ask the hard questions that they needed to, pointing out the flaws in logic. They pulled their punches a ton in order to appear "unbiased" which was an invitation. Fascists and authoritarians have taken advantage of this and they've done their damage. There's no progress with a quick spritz of water on the fire when the house is already burnt down. Back then I ended up yelling at the radio more times than not for them to do better. But as it went on and our country fell apart, I stopped listening.
@NerdRage42 @jayrosen_nyu you misread his comment
@MattFerrel @jayrosen_nyu I was responding to his statement of "progress". I didn't misread that.
@NerdRage42 @MattFerrel @jayrosen_nyu progress as in not covering Trump
@jeff61 @MattFerrel @jayrosen_nyu Trump didn't cause all this. He's a side-effect of the problems in this country that have gone unchallenged for too long. Progress is codifying Roe. Progress is protecting trans rights. Progress is housing for all.

@NerdRage42

One of the more bizarre comments I have received at this site.

I don't think it was meant for me at all. You're just talking to yourself. Or as you put it, yelling at the radio.

@jayrosen_nyu As Lesley Stahl says, “Wow!” The limit to a rational response to national stupidity has been reached.
@jayrosen_nyu the late night comics do a good job reviewing his machinations
@jayrosen_nyu Yes - that on-air discussion about how NPR would cover this major event, including reflections and lessons learned, was EXCELLENT journalism - for a change!
@jayrosen_nyu I would argue it's a big step forward. If nothing else it should remind others of how complicit the press has been and remind all of us of the same.
@jayrosen_nyu yep, it is truly wild what world we’re living in.
@jayrosen_nyu That is huge NPR. For that, you get a donation. Thank you!