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NPR’s Fresh Air Helps Right Recycle Its Claims
of Media Bias
By Josh Haney
National Public Radio is often accused by the conservative right of being
elitist and liberal. These accusations typically stem from NPR’s
intellectual coverage of issues, as opposed to sensationalized news.
However, on October 8, conservatives pushing the liberal media biased
argument were given an early Christmas present by Terry Gross, host of
Fresh Air, the weekly interview show produced by WHYY in Philadelphia.
Gross interviewed satirist Al Franken in late September and was her usual
friendly, conciliatory self. Supposedly, Franken was on air to discuss
his new book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, A Fair and
Balanced Look at the Right. Yet over 19 minutes of the 35-minute
interview was dedicated to poking fun at Bill O’Reilly. This despite
the fact that a mere 18 pages of the 379-page book concern O’Reilly.
Two weeks later, O’Reilly was invited to the show on the pretense
of discussing his new book, Who’s Looking Out for You.
Gross used the opportunity to continue the personal attack Franken had
made against her guest. In possibly the least professional display of
journalism in recent NPR history, Fresh Air rejuvenated the exhausted
claim of a liberal media bias.
While Franken was asked brief, open-ended questions such as, “Tell
me about the title of your book,” O’Reilly was subjected to
long, specific questions that attempted to corner him into lying or just
make him angry.
At one point, Gross launched into a 100-second monologue detailing an
attack upon him by New York Times book reviewer Janet Maslin.
After providing a fairly levelheaded and logical explanation for the claims
made by the Times, O’Reilly was subjected to another carefully researched,
minute-long follow-up by Gross.
Another highlight came when Gross managed to ask “Do you feel talk
shows are polarizing American politics?” without giggling at the
irony of her own question.
It was only after 20 minutes of being goaded into an argument and not
being allowed to talk about his book that O’Reilly’s notoriously
short fuse burned down. Granted, he said some ridiculously rude and immature
things, but Gross seemed to enjoy making him look so foolish. Any casual
follower of O’Reilly’s talk show knows that it’s no
act of heroism to make this guy blow his top and say something stupid;
it’s actually a daily occurrence.
When asked if she had been as critical of Franken, Gross hesitated and
admitted that she hadn’t, but only because he’s a humorist.
Regardless of their professions, Franken and O’Reilly were scheduled
so close together to provoke an on air squabble that should not have had
a predetermined winner.
Gross could have made O’Reilly look like the pompous jerk that he
is by merely letting him talk on a topic of his choice. There was no reason
for her to sink to his level and maliciously attack her guest.
Perhaps worse than the fact that Fresh Air gave a less than fair
and balanced look at the Franken versus O’Reilly ordeal is that
they covered it at all. While Franken occasionally cracks a good one liner
and O’Reilly even more occasionally discusses an actual issue, these
guys are the dregs of political debate. Terry Gross typically hosts creative,
intelligent people with either interesting stories to tell or actual knowledge
of a topic.
There is a reason 29 million Americans a week listen to public radio and
it’s not to hear minor characters take shots at each other. That’s
what the Internet, AM talk radio and FOX News are around for.
Both interviews can be found online at http://www.npr.org.
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