NPR Public Editor

Wednesday September 30, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Scott Simon's Salary and Steak Knives

by  Alicia C. Shepard

September 30, 2009 • Some listeners think Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon makes too much money. Simon replies and he also apologizes for laughing inappropriately when novelist Lorrie Moore read from her new book, A Gate at the Stairs. One of her characters f...

Scott Simon's Salary and Steak Knives

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Wednesday September 23, 2009

NPR Public Editor

The ACORN Videos: Did NPR Ignore Them?

by  Alicia C. Shepard

September 23, 2009 • When Fox News first released damming videos involving employees of ACORN, the community organizing group, the mainstream media, including NPR, was slow to respond. Why? A just-released study of press coverage of ACORN for the last two years might ...

Friday September 18, 2009

NPR Public Editor

A Person of Interest

by  Alicia C. Shepard

September 18, 2009 • Two men's names haunted NPR editors as they decided Wednesday whether to go with the name of a 'person of interest' in the Yale murder of Annie Le. It turned out to be a moot question. But the issue remains: should the press publicize the name of ...

Monday September 14, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Should NPR Have Run the Dead Marine Photo?

by  Alicia C. Shepard

September 14, 2009 • An American Marine was killed during a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan. An Associated Press photographer captured that moment. Should NPR and other news organizations have run photos of the dead Marine when his parents have specficially asked the AP...

Thursday September 10, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Should NPR Have Run the Photo of a Dead Marine?

by  Alicia C. Shepard

September 10, 2009 • An American Marine was killed during a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan. An Associated Press photographer captured that moment. Should NPR and other news organizations have run photos of the dead Marine when his parents have specficially asked the AP...

Wednesday September 2, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Too Much Kennedy

by  Alicia C. Shepard

September 2, 2009 • Ted Kennedy's death last week got more coverage than any other politician or celebrity since the Project for Excellence in Journalism began measuring coverage in 2007. NPR did 53 stories in 5 days, but there wasn't a lot of discussion of Chappaqui...

Wednesday August 26, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Why NPR Stopped Charging for Transcripts

by  Alicia C. Shepard

August 26, 2009 • I wanted to respond to Eric Newton's post asking about the business decision to stop charging for transcripts. I thought I would share this blog posting. I have been on vacation, furlough, and am now out in San Diego visiting KPBS. Eric Newton w...

Wednesday August 19, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Free Transcripts now Available on NPR.org

by  Alicia C. Shepard

August 19, 2009 • Transcripts of favorite, missed or maddening stories on NPR used to cost $3.95 each, but now they are free on NPR.org.

Friday August 7, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Won't Judge Sotomayor be the Second Hispanic on the Supreme Court?

by  Alicia C. Shepard

August 7, 2009 • There's a camp out there that believes just-confirmed Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is not the court's first Hispanic. Instead, they say, that distinction belongs to Justice Benjamin Cardozo who served on the bench from 1932 until 1938, wh...

Won't Judge Sotomayor be the Second Hispanic on the Supreme Court?

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Thursday August 6, 2009

NPR Public Editor

The Katrina Analogy: A Real Clunker

by  Alicia C. Shepard

August 6, 2009 • NPR political correspondent Mara Liasson went too far on Fox News when she equated problems with the Cash for Clunker program to a "mini-Katrina." That reflects poorly on NPR.

Tuesday August 4, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Bleeping Out Words

by  Alicia C. Shepard

August 4, 2009 • When should a word be bleeped out? That depends on the word. Some words are obvious. Others, like 'goddamn' pose problems.

Bleeping Out Words

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Thursday July 30, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Ombudsversation on Marching in a Gay Pride Parade

by  Alicia C. Shepard

July 30, 2009 • NPR journalists face ethical challenges everyday. Please join me in watching a video discussion on whether NPR journalists should march in gay pride parades.

Tuesday July 28, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Double Standard?

by  Alicia C. Shepard

July 28, 2009 • After the news media cooperated in a news blackout to protect a New York Times reporter, questions arose on how the media will behave if they are asked to not report the kidnapping of a soldier, contractor or executive in a foreign setting.

Monday July 27, 2009

NPR Public Editor

Where Did My Comment Go?

by  Chantal de la Rionda

July 27, 2009 • Don't see a comment you posted a few weeks ago? No worries, technical glitches caused by NPR.org's re-launch are being worked out and missing comments will be restored shortly.

Wednesday July 22, 2009

NPR Public Editor

No, Laurie, NPR Is Not on Vacation!

by  Alicia C. Shepard

July 22, 2009 • Laurie Handshu of Nashville wrote asking if everyone in NPR's news department was on vacation this week. "Your Tom Watson interview aired Tuesday. The British Open event finished Sunday. Daniel Shorr remembered Walter Cronkite on Tuesday. Mr. ...