NEW YORK (AP) — A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal views resigned Wednesday, attacking NPR’s new CEO in the process.
Uli Berliner, senior editor of NPR’s Business Desk, posted his resignation on X (formerly Twitter) the day after it was revealed that: he was suspended Five days in jail for violating company rules regarding unauthorized outdoor work.
“I cannot work in a newsroom where a divisive new CEO is scorned by a new CEO who confirms the very problem,” Berliner said in his resignation letter.
Katherine Maher, a former tech executive who was named NPR’s chief executive in January, has been criticized by conservative activists for social media messages disparaging former President Donald Trump. This message was from before she was hired by her NPR.
NPR’s communications director said NPR does not comment on individual personnel matters.
The suspension and subsequent resignation highlight the delicate balance facing many U.S. news organizations and their editorial staffs. On the other hand, journalists strive to produce unbiased news and should not comment on controversial public issues. On the other hand, many journalists believe it is their duty to criticize their organization’s approach to journalism when appropriate.
in him essayBerliner, writing for the online Free Press site, said NPR is dominated by liberals and no longer has an open-minded spirit. He tracked changes in coverage of Trump’s inauguration.
“There is a tacit consensus about the story we should pursue and how we should frame it,” he writes. “It’s frictionless, story after story about racism, transphobia, the signs of the climate change apocalypse, the bad things about Israel, the dire threat of Republican policies. It’s almost like an assembly line. is.”
He said he had raised his concerns internally, but nothing had changed, leaving him with “someone who clearly has the wrong ideas in a place I love.”
In response to the essay, NPR’s top editor, Edith Chapin, said leadership strongly disagreed with Berliner’s assessment of the station’s journalism and the way it does its job.
It is not clear what Berliner was referring to when he spoke of Maher’s disrespect. In a lengthy memo to her staff last week, she wrote: “It should always be fair to ask questions about whether we are fulfilling our mission. Journalism, after all, is nothing if not a difficult question. It is only when the public recognizes its identity that it is asked with integrity. It is extremely disrespectful, hurtful, and humiliating to question whether you are fulfilling your mission.”
Conservative activist Christopher Rufo revealed some of Maher’s past tweets after the essay was published. In one tweet in January 2018, Ma wrote, “Donald Trump is a racist.” Her post just before the 2020 election featured a photo of her wearing a Biden campaign hat.
In response, an NPR spokesperson said Maher had been exercising his right to express his ideas for years before joining the radio network. She is not involved in NPR’s editorial decisions, the station said.
This issue is an example of what can happen when corporate executives, rather than journalists, are appointed to oversee news organizations. They find themselves scrutinized for signs of bias in ways they have never experienced before. Recently, Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, has been criticized For services on paid corporate boards.
Mr. Maher is the former director of the Wikimedia Foundation. NPR’s own article on the 40-year-old executive’s appointment in January notes that she has “never worked directly in journalism or news organizations.”
In his resignation letter, Berliner said he would not support any effort to strip NPR of public funding. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and want NPR to thrive and do important journalism,” he wrote.
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David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder
