NPR Public Editor

Tuesday February 15, 2005

NPR Public Editor

A Week of Insults on NPR

by  Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

February 15, 2005 • Lest any listener think that NPR is a bastion of political correctness, the last few days should have dispelled that notion.

Wednesday February 9, 2005

NPR Public Editor

Do Too Many Listener Complaints Turn off NPR?

by  Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

February 9, 2005 • NPR needs to make sure that its own instincts are tested, from time to time, in the harsh light of public opinion. And listeners aren't shy about letting NPR know when they feel a show has missed the mark.

Tuesday February 1, 2005

NPR Public Editor

Adjectival Pile-Ups, Cliches, and Other Ills in NPR Reports

by  Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

February 1, 2005 • Radio -- and that includes NPR -- should be colloquial. Perhaps not all the time, but that means listeners should hear American English as it is spoken by reasonably well-educated people, whether they are guests or reporters or hosts of programs. Ideally, radio should be an intelligent conversation that you, the listeners, are part of.

Tuesday January 25, 2005

NPR Public Editor

What's Wit on NPR?

by  Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

January 25, 2005 • Sometimes NPR programs hit the mark when it comes to wit. Some listeners accuse NPR of being witty only half the time.

Thursday January 20, 2005

NPR Public Editor

Careful Listening: It's The Little Things That Count

by  Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

January 20, 2005 • If there were any doubts about how much the little things count in radio, a slight adjustment in the audio landscape of Morning Edition has dispelled that notion. The change was tiny compared to some other changes, but this almost inaudible shift caused a number of listeners to jump out of bed and protest.

Tuesday January 11, 2005

NPR Public Editor

Both Sides Now: Palestinians And Israelis Unite Against NPR

by  Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

January 11, 2005 • Although it has been relatively quiet of late, NPR's reporting from the Middle East often results in protests from one side or the other -- or from both at the same time.

Wednesday January 5, 2005

NPR Public Editor

Some Unfinished Business from 2004

by  Jeffrey A. Dvorkin

January 5, 2005 • To close the books on the year just past, a look at a few issues that listeners raised in the dying days of 2004.

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.