Opinion | Heres why Uri Berliner couldnt stay at NPR
“I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years. I don’t support calls to defund NPR. I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay.”
On Tuesday, Berliner had received a five-day suspension and “final warning” for the essay he published, with the official reasoning being he “failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists”—though the article said the rebuke did not mention at least one other instance where Berliner spoke to media but did not get permission.
Berliner had been temporarily suspended from NPR after publishing on essay for that called out the network for losing “an open minded spirit” and lacking viewpoint diversity. He cited, among other things, audience research showing a drop in the number of listeners considering themselves conservative.
The Real Reason NPR Squashed Uri Berliner - POLITICO
On Wednesday, Berliner , formerly known as Twitter, he resigned from his role at NPR and shared part of his resignation later, which read: “I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay.”
Last week, veteran business editor Uri Berliner published an essay in The Free Press—a site founded by an ex-New York Times opinion editor popular among people who believe mainstream media has become too liberal—titled “I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.”
The trouble didn’t stop for NPR with Berliner’s essay, though, as tweets from its recently hired CEO Katherine Maher, who did not previously work in news, resurfaced over the weekend.
Overnight, Uri Berliner had gone from quietly editing business news at National Public Radio (NPR) to entering the cultural zeitgeist, and, whether he intended to or not, becoming a of the political right.
NPR suspends editor Uri Berliner over essay accusing outlet of bias
Berliner, who wrote his essay for the online Free Press site, had been suspended without pay for five days for violating the company’s policy that it must approve work done for outside organizations, NPR reported on Tuesday.
Berliners essay is titled “Ive Been at NPR for 25 Years
While Berliner said that he wishes NPR to thrive and do important journalism, he wrote that “I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm” problems that he discussed in his essay.
NPRs Uri Berliner Has Shown That DEI Is About Punishing Heresy
Berliner’s essay promoted public pushback from NPR employees, including recently-appointed CEO Katherine Maher, whose own views came under scrutiny after conservatives surfaced old tweets expressing progressive views.
NPR editor Uri Berliner resigns after essay accusing outlet of bias
“What’s notable is the extent to which people at every level of NPR have comfortably coalesced around the progressive worldview,” Berliner wrote in The Free Press essay. “And this, I believe, is the most damaging development at NPR: the absence of viewpoint diversity.”
NPR editor Uri Berliner resigns with blast at new CEO - WVTF
In the essay published in The Free Press, Berliner argued that the outlet had lost the public’s trust by putting a progressive slant on coverage of major news stories, including the COVID-19 pandemic and claims that Donald Trump colluded with Russia.
Uri Berliner: NPR Editor Who Wrote Critical Essay Resigns - HuffPost
On Wednesday, one day after it was learned he was serving a five-day suspension, : “I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years. I don’t support calls to defund NPR. I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR that I cite in my Free Press essay.”
From the editor: NPRs Uri Berliner paid a big price for speaking out
Berliner’s resignation came after NPR on Friday slapped the editor with a five-day suspension without pay in response to his essay calling out the network.