NPR, like Obama's White House, has concerns about Fox News and its Mara Liasson appearing there

The Barack Obama White House isn't the only one waging internal wars against Fox News, it seems. National Public Radio bosses have requested that their top political correspondent, Mara Liasson, reconsider her regular appearances on Fox News, according to a report by Politico.

NPR execs reportedly expressed concerns to Liasson that Fox's content had become more partisan recently.

They assigned her -- in what some at NPR might consider unusual punishment -- to watch and study Fox News' programming for 30 days.

Liasson reported no significant change in Fox's overall views, Politico writes, and that very well might be the case. The idea of Fox's alleged conservative leanings didn't just spring up in the last month.

The White House has sought to discourage other news organizations from acknowledging and reporting on Fox News. But they have resisted out of professional collegiality, for instance, when Fox News was briefly barred from one pool participation.

Liasson, whose diligent reporting brings useful insights to Fox News' popular panel discussions, noted she's under contract with Fox News and intended to fulfill her obligations.

Though NPR is in part publicly funded, the extent of federal funding is small. The federally fed Corporation for Public Broadcasting gives NPR some money, but the majority of its cash flow comes from on-air fundraisers, private donations, state grants and universities.

An NPR spokeswoman reportedly told Politico that the White House's stance had no bearing on the Fox News diss.

No immediate reports of other news employers objecting to their reporters/commentators appearing on cable channels where many see political bias in, say, the other direction.

-- Mark Milian

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Comments

[Tom O'Brien]

I'm wondering about your use of the word bosses as in "NPR bosses." It clearly disparaging and usually reserved in dispassionate US journalism for only two groups: the Mafia and organzied labor. Are you saying that NPR executives who employ Ms Liasson and provide her a vehicle to become a brand are behaving like Mafia criminals or elected union leaders because they seek to limit the use of her/their brand on Fox? Fox wants her because of her association with NPR -- correct? Speaking her mind is one thing, but if Ms Liasson is going to make money through trading on her NPR association on Fox, isn't that a legitimate area of concern for those NPR bosses? By the way, in your use of the word bosses, you're in, ah, good company: NPR uses bosses too when they tag Mafia dons, elected yet unindicted labor leaders or others they want to disparage.

[Saeed Mahboub]

Sir, Maybe Fox should start complaining about Mara Liasson's association with the left leaning NPR. This demonization of Fox is a clear indication that NPR, the White House, and perhaps you cannot tolerate alternative views. Or have you all declared, like Al Gore, that there is no longer need for debate- the truth belongs to you.

[Norton Webber]

Re-education camp for Mara!! What will the progressives do with these recalcitrant brats?

[ellen]

You say npr is funded mostly by on-air fundraisers, private donations, state grants and universities. MOstly? Isn't npr and pbs etc mostly funded by corporate underwriting? Corporations fund all our news and commentary. What are all those "supported by the following" messages I have to listen to constantly on our "public supported" media??? Please. Why does pbs now relegate about 5 to 8 minutes per hour to corporate message commercials? We have no real public media in this country.