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NPR Public Editor The Public Editor is the public's representative to NPR, serving as an independent source regarding NPR's programming.

NPR Public Editor

WITH POYNTER'S KELLY MCBRIDE

Wednesday December 22, 2004

NPR Public Editor

The NPR Ombudsman's Year in Review

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

December 22, 2004 • December is a traditional time of year for clear-eyed assessments, quiet reflections and thoughtful stock taking. It's also a time to look hopefully toward the year to come. So looking back on NPR's 2004 and searching for a single adjective to describe it: from where I sit as NPR's Ombudsman, tumultuous is the first word that comes to mind.

Wednesday December 15, 2004

NPR Public Editor

White House Reporting: Not Even a Hint of Skepticism?

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

December 15, 2004 • Bernard Kerik's rapid rise and fall, as recounted by NPR, was for some listeners a case of rewriting White House press releases.

Tuesday December 7, 2004

NPR Public Editor

Is the Ombudsman Going Soft on NPR?

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

December 7, 2004 • Even though I have been doing this job for almost five years, listeners (even longtime listeners) still express astonishment that NPR has such a position. So do some journalists.

Wednesday December 1, 2004

NPR Public Editor

Did NPR Err in Matters of Religion and Race?

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

December 1, 2004 • NPR treads carefully on matters of ethnicity, race and religion. These three issues set listeners' antennae aquiver if there is the slightest sense that NPR is not being sufficiently respectful. So it is with some surprise that this week's programming has provoked some angry e-mails about the ways NPR has handled these hot-button topics.

Tuesday November 23, 2004

NPR Public Editor

The Joy of Text

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

November 23, 2004 • After months of comments on the terrible and serious news of the day, NPR listeners are giving themselves (and their ombudsman) a break. Some are writing with questions and comments that clearly feel like a respite.

Wednesday November 17, 2004

NPR Public Editor

Putting the Election and Arafat to Rest

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

November 17, 2004 • For some listeners, disputes over NPR's election coverage and its Middle East reporting did not end with the re-election of President Bush or with the death of PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat.

Tuesday November 9, 2004

NPR Public Editor

NPR's Michele Norris and the Burden of Proof

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

November 9, 2004 • All Things Considered's Michele Norris was on NPR during the election campaign. But she was not doing any politics. The reason was simple. Norris' husband, Broderick Johnson was a senior adviser to the Kerry campaign. But with the campaign over, Norris has begun to express doubts.

Tuesday November 2, 2004

NPR Public Editor

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and NPR

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

November 2, 2004 • In this period around Halloween and election, the ghost of Dr. Heisenberg must be floating around NPR since there were a number of small journalistic events that some listeners worried might significantly alter the future.

Tuesday October 26, 2004

NPR Public Editor

Election Anxiety and Election Fatigue

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

October 26, 2004 • It's less than a week until the election, and many listeners are quick to complain about how shabbily their preferred candidate is portrayed in NPR's reporting.

Thursday October 21, 2004

NPR Public Editor

When Balanced Reporting Is Biased

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

October 21, 2004 • Jeffrey Dvorkin, NPR's ombudsman, responds to recent comments from listeners regarding NPR's coverage of the presidential candidates, on-air promos for Bush-Kerry debate coverage, and an on-air misquote of Sen. John Kerry's stance on gaining international cooperation for military actions such as the war in Iraq.

Tuesday October 12, 2004

NPR Public Editor

Journalists under Battlefield Stress

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

October 12, 2004 • Listeners notice that reporters are now increasingly in danger in Iraq. They worry about the safety of NPR correspondents and reporters in war zones.

Monday October 4, 2004

NPR Public Editor

The 'Innumerates' Among Us

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

October 4, 2004 • Some listeners believe that NPR may be reporting poll results out of context. What is clear is that many listeners are unclear about how the polls are conducted and whether they legitimately predict what will happen on Nov. 2.

Friday September 24, 2004

NPR Public Editor

How the Blogs Saved CBS... and NPR

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

September 24, 2004 • NPR's ombudsman, Jeffrey Dvorkin, comments on Web logs -- better known as blogs -- and their increasing impact on journalism. Bloggers pointed out problems with the recent CBS News report on President Bush's National Guard service and with an NPR feature on "swing voter" John Ridley.

Friday September 17, 2004

NPR Public Editor

Resisting Temptations in a Political Season

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

September 17, 2004 • The election campaign is in its official phase now. Many listeners are intensely consumed with the story and with NPR’s coverage.

Monday September 13, 2004

NPR Public Editor

Bush, Kerry Debate Medicare Price Hike

by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

September 13, 2004 • An increase in Medicare premiums announced this month is raising the issue's profile on the 2004 campaign trail. NPR's Julie Rovner assesses both major party presidential candidates' claims about Medicare.

Bush, Kerry Debate Medicare Price Hike

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