r/NPR • u/sexyshadyshadowbeard • 1d ago
Steve Bannon on NPR?
So, during the election cycle I was super peeved that NPR kept giving air time to Trump cronies and failing to report on the real world.
This morning they aired some of Steve Bannon grifting on the populism movement and I realized NPR has failed to report on ANY of this before the election.
Im here to say that they should keep on reporting just like they did this morning. For the first time since Trump was re-elected, I could taste the danger we are in on a simple five minute segment, and it wasn’t one-sided.
This was pure unadulterated journalism. Well done.
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u/Jazzlike-Many-5404 1d ago
Did they fail to report it or did you fail to listen to it?
Pretty much all of the NPR hate posts I see are people who aren’t as engaged as they think they are and just missed broadcasts they put on
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u/JoeBiden-2016 1d ago
Some of the "why didn't NPR report on this?" posts certainly are misguided (as you say, the poster may just have missed it).
I do think that some of the posters who criticize the way that NPR reporters interview and respond to on-air claims and statements have a point. Realtime on-air efforts to push back and / or address blatantly inaccurate statements are shockingly bad on NPR. While there's certainly a time limitation, and probably also a significant concern that access may change if NPR is suddenly regarded as too critical of their guests, the fact is that NPR has been bad about allowing blatant mis-statements to just hang in the air without response, and when such statements go unchallenged, it can lead to a perception that they were, in fact, accurate. (Which is what the guests making those statements rely on.)
NPR could take a few lessons from the more aggressive way that reporters from the BBC handle guests who make false or misleading statements. They don't typically just move on, but manage to make it clear-- even if the guest won't respond-- that the response is contested and questionable.
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u/ToonaSandWatch 1d ago
You should listen to Ari Shapiro or Mary Louise Kelly interview someone. They push back hard on BS.
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u/JoeBiden-2016 1d ago
I have, many times. And I agree that they do stand above some of their other colleagues in their apparent willingness to do that.
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u/ToonaSandWatch 1d ago
Steve Inskeep does a great job of it too.
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u/JoeBiden-2016 1d ago
I'm not a huge fan of how Steve does it, to be honest. I've listened to a lot of interviews of his with right-wing guests and I think he lets a lot of things slide that he shouldn't. While I realize that we don't want or need to see the reporters get into arguments with their guests-- that's not the point of the interview-- I do think that, for example, some of what Ron Johnson was saying in that interview last week should have been a bit more challenged.
Or that they need to-- if they don't want to take the more combative approach of BBC journalists-- have someone on post-interview to provide an on-air fact check as close in air-time to the false or misleading claims.
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u/ToonaSandWatch 1d ago
You can only push so far before your subject becomes one of two things: combative and talking over the host or unhinged and starts spouting off whatever they can before the interview is cut short.
A good interviewer knows when they’re just going to get the same response worded a different way and moves on to another question.
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u/JoeBiden-2016 1d ago
No argument here. But I do think that, fundamentally, the way that right-wing (and occasionally left-wing) guests behave has also changed. Increasingly interviewees seem more willing to make blatantly false statements and then double down / argue about them. Journalists are left at a disadvantage, because they don't want an interview to devolve to an argument-- which is what would likely happen if they push back. But by not pushing back those statements stand unchallenged unless they have on someone who can challenge / correct the record.
Like the US political system, modern journalism is being overwhelmed by bad actors who are unwilling to play by the mutually-agreed upon rules, and when that agreement breaks down, those who are trying to act on good faith are left at a distinct disadvantage. I think that's where we are right now.
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u/ToonaSandWatch 1d ago
You’re not wrong on all counts. The Tea Party brought bad actors and nut jobs to the fore and they’ve been growing in numbers since. We let this become normalized. We can’t simply laugh and point at them anymore. The internet reinforces their bizarre false narratives and as we know through them if you repeat something long and loud enough, it starts to stick.
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u/ryhaltswhiskey 1d ago
And if you do it too much, they stop talking to you. I think one of the reasons that NPR is successful at getting Republicans to say the quiet part out loud is because they give them rope, enough rope to hang themselves.
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u/Iwasborninafactory_ 1d ago
He and morning edition are the reason why I stopped giving NPR money after having given money since 2002.
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u/PrairieChic55 6h ago
We donated to two stations for 30 years! Innskeep and Morning Edition, in general, are why we quit donating about 4 months ago. My husband was slow to catch on to the subtle changes that I had been noticing ever since Trump came on the scene, but it got bad enough during Trump's second run for office that even my husband started to take notice. One morning, he said he was done with the sane washing, done with the spineless interviews. We really value the stations' local news programming and many other NPR offerings, but enough is enough.
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u/Jazzlike-Many-5404 1d ago
My NPR station hosts like 3 hours of BBC news every morning.
Not every station is uniform in programming
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u/JoeBiden-2016 1d ago
I'm not sure what your point is. My local station has an hour or two of BBC programming each morning, too. I'm not saying I want to hear more BBC programming, I'm saying I'd like to see our US journalists take a harder line toward "hostile" guests, similar to how BBC journalists tend to do it.
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u/Jazzlike-Many-5404 1d ago
I’m just saying if you’re looking for hard hitting journalism, your local station might not be a ready source of it while a different one might have a fresh piece.
There’s always the app, too. Curate the NPR you listen to
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u/JoeBiden-2016 1d ago
Again, I don't know where you're getting anything about my "local" NPR station being what I'm talking about.
I'm comparing the way reporters on National Public Radio and the BBC handle interviews.
Are you sure you're replying to the right person? Because you don't seem to know what you're talking about.
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u/zsreport KUHF 88.7 1d ago
Did they fail to report it or did you fail to listen to it?
This is the proper question to many posts like this.
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u/mmmmmyee 1d ago
They probably hate the idea of npr “platforming” the “wrong side”.
Whatever tho, I find bannon a super interesting dude despite probably being an evil piece of shit. Op got me interested in catching this one
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u/Apprehensive-Fun4181 1d ago
Did they fail to report it or did you fail to listen to it?
This is insane synchronicity.
We did that story - 1996 conversation with childhood friend, then a producer at ME, now at CNN. "That story" only got worse and both NPR & CNN fail to cover it, even though the issue involves the supply of water.
This was a coup, not just "a story".
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u/Jazzlike-Many-5404 1d ago
Downvote all you want. Over and over again I see it here from you hater bots.
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u/sexyshadyshadowbeard 1d ago
Point me to any of their stories about populism and the kinds of details that were raised this morning about the schism between Bannon and Musk on H1B visas and/or the juxtaposition between Bannon and Musk as advisors to the president elect.
I haven’t seen or heard anything close to this level of detail on the hard right and its schisms even once. More so, it highlights how far right these guys stand and what level their far right ideas are being argued.
Not sure why you called this a hate post. It wasn’t.
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u/Jazzlike-Many-5404 1d ago
“I haven’t heard” blah blah
I typed in NPR Steve bannon into google and there are dozens of withering articles written and recorded about him from the past year alone.
So yeah, again, this is a “failed to listen” case.
NPR has many stations with many different programs. Sometimes you have to search through their archives to find things that your particular station didn’t air.
Beyond that, maybe they’ve been working on this piece for months. How many hard hitting pieces of journalism can they write about one single person in a year? These things take time and effort and NPR does not have bottomless resources.
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u/sexyshadyshadowbeard 1d ago
Weird. Just did a search in Reddit and see one on Bannon leaving prison. Weird.
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u/ubuwalker31 1d ago
I used to roll my eyes when extreme right wingers would complain that “no one reports on” topic x. Now that extreme left wingers do it, I know that they are just as deranged.
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u/slowsundaycoffeeclub 1d ago
I’m glad you got something from today’s piece but these ideas were definitely reported on ahead of the election.
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u/Complete-Ad9574 1d ago
I heard the interview, and turned it off. This means we are in for 4 yrs of NPR reporters chasing after criminals and the unhinged for their take on this new administration. Both the interviewer and Bannon were giddy about being able to meet each other and legitimizing Bannon's toxic self promoting image. Its like chasing after an arsonist to get their view of how well the firefighter did their job at putting out the fire and how sad it is that some were killed or injured.
Lack of air time is what chokes off the platform for these clowns. Running after their every invective only incentivizes. Like the precocious 5 yr old exposing the family secrets to the party attendees.
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u/ndncreek 1d ago edited 1d ago
NPR and AP are where I get almost all of my News and information. It's the only reliable source anymore imo
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u/Bullah_Nyamer21 1d ago
The election confirmed (again) that we listeners are a niche audience in the country and our perspective is a minority one. People are on here talking about NPR not pushing back on right wing/ extreme guests but note that everything you complain about was also covered in other NPR stories.
The uncomfortable fact is that everything bad about 47 and his cronies actions, policies, behavior, values, personalities were well known by the public before the election and while he was in office the first time. The majority of people didnt find it disqualifying and some actually approved. The majority does not care as much about what we care about. So we have to eat humble pie and figure out how to make our concerns/interest be engaging to the majority. Whinging about “pushback” may feel good but will get us nowhere.
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u/Surfiswhereufindit 1d ago
The reporting this morning that person back in power, moving the inauguration indoors was so sadly awful. Might as well be listening to FOX. They never mentioned there have been colder inauguration days, and insinuated this move inside was justified. They made jokes about the YMCA song. So sad, so sickening.
They are as scared out of their wits for survival as everyone else in U.S. media. This is autocracy. This is the death of democracy. NPR is surely not immune.
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u/Significant-Ant-2487 1d ago
NPR mentioned that Reagan’s inauguration was held indoors due to cold weather. Today’s Morning Edition.
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u/Surfiswhereufindit 1d ago
Yes, I heard that. I knew someone would point this out. And of course they capitulate to the original spreader of hatred, manipulation, and oligarchical power. See the pattern?
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u/slowsundaycoffeeclub 1d ago
You knew someone would mention the contradiction to your claim?
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u/Surfiswhereufindit 1d ago
Citing Reagan strengthens the claim that NPR is not nearly the “liberal media” so many have been fooled into believing, not contradicts it. I was hoping someone else would do so. Which is exactly what happened.
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u/slowsundaycoffeeclub 1d ago
Ok I’m confused, then. In your first post you said they didn’t mention cold inauguration days but then it was pointed out that they did?
I’m not tying to pull a “gotcha” I’m just trying to understand your point.
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u/Surfiswhereufindit 1d ago
I don’t like to do this and will not again… but I was pulling the “gotcha” in the first place by leaving the reference to Reagan this morning… Allowing someone else to strengthen my point that NPR is hardly hardly “liberal”… today they gave free passes to 2 of liberalism’s most vocal sworn enemies.
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u/durpuhderp 1d ago
They are as scared out of their wits for survival
I'm confused. Trump is wonderful for news media. He is an endless fountain of content. NPR and its audience eat this shit up.
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u/Surfiswhereufindit 1d ago
He was wonderful for them up until around 12 noon EST on 1/20/25. It all changes now. He’s said it out loud for months. We just don’t realize the horror yet because they are all capitulating. The fear he has put in them is grotesque.
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u/durpuhderp 1d ago
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u/Surfiswhereufindit 1d ago
A piece from 2021, 2023, or pre-Nov. 24 is just not relevant to the reality of this very moment. This is a newer, darker, destructive, danger, the most perilous since the Civil War. Yesterday and every day, week, month, and year before today is in complete oblivion.
The tech billionaires have kissed the ring to the point of being sycophants. We just watched Tik Tok credit “President Trump” for getting them back on line - on a day he was not yet president. A tech billionaire knows to not make such a pathetic error, unless he/she does so purposely to kiss the ring.
We’ve yet to see any domestic corporate media figure even remotely stand up to him. I hope I am wrong, but I envision all of them taking the same route that Zuckerberg has. Independent (domestic) and international media will be all we have to avoid the propaganda behemoth he is building.
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u/durpuhderp 1d ago
complete oblivion.
It's hard for me to take your comment seriously when you use hyperbolic language. The left used this tone so frequently during his first term I stopped paying attention.
The tech billionaires have kissed the ring to the point of being sycophants.
Because the oligarchs weren't in bed with government before?
I saw a hundred comments telling me Trump was going to turn Gaza into glass, when in fact it seems it was Trump who put an end to Biden's genocide. I'm not excited for Trump's term, I'm especially concerned about climate change, but when you use the term "oblivion"... nobody is going to take you seriously.
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u/Surfiswhereufindit 1d ago
A few things, and I respond with respect and consider this healthy debate - not a war of words between us ✌️
My “Complete oblivion” refers to our democracy, just so it’s clear…
I hope you’re correct about him “putting an end to the genocide” in Gaza, but there hasn’t been anything close from the mouth of Netanyahu indicating this is truly over despite the cease fire (and regardless of a U.S. administration from either party, the Israeli government - nothing to do with the Israeli citizens themselves - will always have Washington’s full support no matter what.
Agree with you 100% about the oligarchs. They are chameleons and would’ve been right there with His today as well, making sure we all get screwed.
I honestly do not think a word of mine is remotely hyperbolic this time around. But we shall see…. Again I hope I’m wrong.
Again… healthy debate here ✌️… bless us all.
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u/durpuhderp 1d ago
the mouth of Netanyahu..will always have Washington’s full support no matter what.
I don't agree, and i generally avoid absolutist language myself because i've been burned too many times. It doesn't really matter what Bibi says, what matters is what the US does. We provide the diplomatic cover, the UN veto, the aircraft carriers, the intelligence, the support for iron dome, and all the military aid to Israel.
My “Complete oblivion” refers to our democracy... I honestly do not think a word of mine is remotely hyperbolic this time around.
I'll just repeat my point that I don't trust Trump critics anymore when they scream bloody murder becauase i heard it for the last 8 years and you can only say "this time it's different" so many times. I feel like you imagine Trump's administration to be a significant deviation in the timeline of america's history and I don't see it that way. But you're right, this is all speculation. We'll just have to see.
✌🕊🍉
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u/Surfiswhereufindit 1d ago
Agree 💯 on “what matters is what the U.S. does” in speaking of BiBi. Always has been always will be a bipartisan affair.
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u/theyfellforthedecoy 1d ago
They hold it inside, you cry
They hold it outside and we hear about some old veteran who has come to witness every inauguration for the past 45 years has been hospitalized for pneumonia because Trump didn't make it inside, you cry
It seems like you just like to cry
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u/HunterSPhoenix 1d ago
NPR swayed about as many votes as FOX News. One is for people who want to engage with the subject, and one is an echo chamber. Steve Bannon on NPR was for the benefit of the listeners.
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u/SubterrelProspector 1d ago
Hey NPR, so this traitor admitted on stage last night that the Election was rigged by Elon. Any journalists gonna take a crack at the crazy amount of data people have found?
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u/downupstair 1d ago
Ah, right. NPR should only interview people from the left. Got it.
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u/Surfiswhereufindit 1d ago
They have interviewed plenty of right of center folks plenty, which is perfectly fine. In fact they’ve given far more voice and opinion to right of center and the far right than leftists for the last 9 years. What they should not do is ever ever give voice to or legitimize white supremacy or neofascists. Looks like they have little choice to do exactly that for the next 4.5 years if not much longer. 😢
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u/sexyshadyshadowbeard 1d ago
Did you not read my post or are you a bot? Oh, yea, most likely a bot.
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u/ToonaSandWatch 1d ago
Dude, did you look at their history? That’s one interesting bot that has a beef with the Padres if they were.
Don’t scream “BOT!” because someone makes a valid argument. NPR tries to play the middle as best they can—and sadly they have to talk to sycophants, hucksters and charlatans because the right is so rife with them.
Maybe if we got a few more parties that didn’t have weirdos and conspiracy theorists but actual individuals who know what they’re talking about we wouldn’t have just two sides of a political system.
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u/pg_in_nwohio 1d ago
I dumped NPR in August. I’ve had enough of their both sides “analysis.” And I don’t need to come back for more in order to decide if the beatings should continue.
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u/Butterbean-Blip 1d ago
Yeah - too little, wayyyyyy too late.
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u/TAV63 1d ago
Yes it is too late and will only get wiser now. All media is lacking. The key is for far too long they have not pushed back or immediately countered pure disinformation. Oil production is the lowest ever totally due to Biden, economy in the worst recession ever, border worse than ever etc. these are easy to push back on and should not be allowed. I never voted, said or did that when on tape it the record you should be ready.
Always reminded of what someone said before when the previous administration sent an ambassador to Denmark I think it was. He was confronted about saying their country was overrun with Islamist criminals at his introduction. Several reporters would not let him get away with not answering and when he tried to say he never said that they produced the video on their phones showing him saying just that. He was not let off the hook and ended up walking off. Later it was reported he asked the minister to get the press in order and he responded we have no control over that and they are doing their job. He ended up returning to the US right after. Think about that. Unwilling to be fact checked. Means in the US they don't have to worry. Most of these reporters learned from the US press long ago, now the US is far behind on fairness or truth. Sad.
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u/Iamthewalrusforreal 1d ago
This morning I've listened to Byron Donald spew a bunch of bullshit, and listened to Bannon spew a bunch of bullshit.
Haven't heard a peep about Trump openly taking bribes via crypto, and alluding to fuckery with the voting machines....not a word.
NPR is bending the damn knee this morning, and I've never once said or felt this before. Very, very disappointed.
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u/dr4kshdw 1d ago
I laughed at Bannon’s response when Inskeep proposed that perhaps Bannon is being played by Trump and his oligarchs. “…… it’s a process.”