boycott NPR!
 

I have decided to boycott National Public Radio, and all affiliate stations. Why? They have accepted monetary donations from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. I am outraged that NPR, to whom I have been a faithful listener for nigh on two years, would sink to accepting money from one of the most constitution rending agencies in our government. I am ashamed that my tax dollars make their way into this bloated experiment in social control, and I will not stand by while they're used to corrupt such a faithful reporter of current events as NPR. This will not stand. Join me in my boycott! It's painful to be without our 24 news coverage, but we have to take a stand!

there, I think I got rid of most of those repeat threads, sorry, didn't mean to spam. I was just so pissed off. Corporate sponsorship sucks yes. But a government agency? What the hell? I don't hear the EPA advertising giving money. I'd prefer to at least believe that NPR is impartial, this totally blows my comforting belief out of the water. I HATE those ONDCP guys.

NPR = National Public Radio

Think of your local public television station, and put it on the radio.

Politically they are left of center, but have decent to good reporting.

Check someplace low on your FM dial for the station. Mine is 90.9 FM for example.

Uh...yes you did. Including the one in Current Events that many had responded to. Doh.:p

..and usually left of center on the dial....somewhere low in the fringes

I guess we shouldn't tell Greenian about the Medicare blimp then, eh?

Out of curiosity, what is ONDCP sponsoring? A particular show? Or is it one of those "Support for NPR comes from..." deals?

If you've got the dough, you can sponsor something on NPR. Unless you're the KKK. Though that was a local issue--they weren't allowed to sponsor a show on St. Louis's main NPR station about 5 years back.

No, don't tell me about the medicare blimp, I'm sure it'll just piss me off. And it was one of those "funding for NPR..." things.
I thought it was a worthy subject for a boycott over, but nobody has agreed with me yet today. I'm not deterred! Solidarity man!
*fist held up*

Since you deleted my other instance of this statement ...

Is it still a boycott if it's a product I don't use, and I just continue not to use it?

Boycott NPR? What's the point?
 

Nobody listens to NPR anyway, so boycotting it is irrelevant.

OK, this isn't quite true. A few leftists listen to have their views confirmed by highbrow-sounding individuals who share their sense of superiority over the masses. And a number of conservatives listen to confirm their opinion that tax money is being spent to prop up liberal views.

really? tax money being used to prop up leftist views? I was under the impression that NPR is a non-profit corporation, recieving no government funds. in fact, the whole point of this thread was to express my outrage at the fact the a particular section of the govt. is now giving them money. You make it sounds as though NPR is some bastion of liberalism. They interviewed David Horowitz, they interviewed Bill o'reilly. What should they do to make sure they don't get called liberals? renounce everything leftist and pay homage to the gods of conservatism like every other broadcast media in America is doing? Why is it called liberal or lefty to faithfully report the news?

      If it doesn't back the rights views then it's an attack on the american spirit, soils the soul, defiles free will and causes tooth decay. You haven't figured that out yet?
      If you want "good" reporting then go to Fox news. If you want honest reporting then your an evil, commie, anarchist bastard. Don't you forget it either.

$380 million for FY 2004 (given during 2002). $390 million for FY 2005 (given this year). (Source: NPR)

So yes, NPR is partially funded by the government. Is NPR a bit to the left? Probably. Do they still provide solid news coverage? Absolutely.

NPR is not quite the left paradise that some make it out to be. I personally think it provides a good public service, and the amount of money it gets from the government is a drop in the bucket compared to some of the other bullshit spending.

So you admit it *is* bullshit spending?:)

I think they should just go cold turkey. According to their web site the amount government-funded grants they receive amounts to 2% of their budget. It'd be worth giving that up for them to thumb their noses at the people who complain about their government funding.

Tax money being used to prop up leftist views.
 

It fair makes me chuckle when I read threads about Americans arguing left from right.
Now you must excuse me, not being totally familiar with American politics , the bottom line is republicans are right and democrats are left (Hope I've got that right).From where I sit you could not get a cigarette paper between most politicians nowadays.They are all corrupt The right merges with the left they swap ideologies to suit whatever they think will get them power or keep power and we the proles are too busy fighting amongst ourselves to notice.Why do most people care its not like we can change anything.Look at the choice we have had Tony Blair over here George W in your neck o' the woods.God help us all.
Billy Connolly once said "That the very ambition to enter politics and be a politician should be enough to prevent you being allowed to do the job"(not word for word but near enough).
I wonder what would happen if they had an election and no one turned up and voted,now that would be a great day for democracy.

No Bop, that's exactly what they want. The voters have always been an annoyance to the politicians.

Nah...not hardly.

Steve, I agree. They (along with PBS) seem to be pushing the viewer support angle much more these days. And they give cooler gifts for smaller donations.

Yes NPR leans to left. This isn't universal though. Remember how helpful they were when low power radio needed some support?

NPR's true spin is advancement of state power. If you listen with your "is this story recommending more government power at the expense of the individual?" detector on, you'll find that most stories on NPR are an endorsement of greater governmental power. You'll never get a story about abolishing the FCC only stories about who gets to control the airwaves using the FCC. You won't get stories about getting the executive branch back in balance with the other two, only stories about what kind of snake oil has to be sold to get the right kind of president back in charge. You won't get questions about the Presidents right to expend soldiers lives in overseas adventures unrelated to American defense but only about the goals of such adventures.

They give good interesting reporting on a wide array of subjects but they program you to think in terms of state intervention. They are trapped in world where the important things happen in Washington.