NPR’s CEO: truth is a distraction in the way of getting things done

[Josh]

Incidentally, NPR fails to be honest about admitting they are state-sponsored media like Xinhua or RT. If she cares so much much about the truth she could start there.

[Bootstrap]

I think Josh said she led Wikipedia, not NPR, in that direction.

Ooops! Thanks for catching that.

Again, I don't think she did. She set up a process where people need to work together to reach consensus. And in modern America, the majority see things differently than you and I do. The world is, in fact, worldly.

And very little about the whole LGBTQ+ debate is really about verifiable fact. We all agree that XX and XY exist. You and I believe that our gender is rooted in creation as male or female, that our bodies define fundamental aspects of who we are. That's rooted in our understanding of God's creation in the Bible.

To those who do not accept the Bible as authoritative, though, it's hard to find the "objective facts" that prove that gender cannot be subjective or fluid. In fact, we see people treating their gender all around us, they live this way. Most of American society seems to accept that.

What "objective facts" can we bring to such a discussion on Wikipedia? We can bring the Cass Report, I imagine. But so much of this debate is subjective, based in identities and values and traditions. The world finds us strange. A Wikipedia done by biblical Christians would reach different conclusions.

[Bootstrap]

Incidentally, NPR fails to be honest about admitting they are state-sponsored media like Xinhua or RT. If she cares so much much about the truth she could start there.

About 1% of NPR's budget comes from the federal budget. And I don't think the government tells them what to say. If it did, I don't think the Biden Administration would have allowed some of the very negative things they had to say about Biden as his age-related decline became obvious. I don't think the Trump Administration would have allowed the very negative reporting they did on Trump during his presidency.

Nearly 100% of RT's budget comes directly from the Russian government. And the Russian Government definitely has a lot of say in what is said there.

I really don't see these as equivalent. I think that's right-wing political attack points.

[GaryK]

I think Josh said she led Wikipedia, not NPR, in that direction.

Ooops! Thanks for catching that.

Again, I don't think she did. She set up a process where people need to work together to reach consensus. And in modern America, the majority see things differently than you and I do. The world is, in fact, worldly.

And very little about the whole LGBTQ+ debate is really about verifiable fact. We all agree that XX and XY exist. You and I believe that our gender is rooted in creation as male or female, that our bodies define fundamental aspects of who we are. That's rooted in our understanding of God's creation in the Bible.

To those who do not accept the Bible as authoritative, though, it's hard to find the "objective facts" that prove that gender cannot be subjective or fluid. In fact, we see people treating their gender all around us, they live this way. Most of American society seems to accept that.

What "objective facts" can we bring to such a discussion on Wikipedia? We can bring the Cass Report, I imagine. But so much of this debate is subjective, based in identities and values and traditions. The world finds us strange. A Wikipedia done by biblical Christians would reach different conclusions.

I don't know anything about her time at Wikipedia but the rest of this I agree with. So as a follower of Jesus, I tend to view people like her and what they have to say about truth through very skeptical eyes.

[Bootstrap]

I don't know anything about her time at Wikipedia but the rest of this I agree with. So as a follower of Jesus, I tend to view people like her and what they have to say about truth through very skeptical eyes.

I think almost everything the world teaches on sexuality is messed up. All across the political spectrum.

And I don't think we, as Christians, have done a good enough job of teaching a biblically sound view of sexuality and gender. Not just "don't do this", but "here is God's plan, rooted in creation, and the way that it leads to fulfillment in our relationships and communities". I would expect that to include information on bonding, on the way that intimacy goes way beyond our rational understanding, and a full biblical understanding of these issues, made relevant for today.

I don't know where to find that. Periodically, I google certain phrases, hoping to find that someone has done this well. Still looking.

I'd love a Christian Wikipedia where like-minded people could work together to produce such a thing. But not too like-minded, the differences are important for the "productive friction" we need to pursue truth together. In that setting, I think the things she says about the process of truth are very relevant. I have experienced this in work settings many, many times over decades.

[Josh]

Incidentally, NPR fails to be honest about admitting they are state-sponsored media like Xinhua or RT. If she cares so much much about the truth she could start there.

About 1% of NPR's budget comes from the federal budget. And I don't think the government tells them what to say. If it did, I don't think the Biden Administration would have allowed some of the very negative things they had to say about Biden as his age-related decline became obvious. I don't think the Trump Administration would have allowed the very negative reporting they did on Trump during his presidency.

Nearly 100% of RT's budget comes directly from the Russian government. And the Russian Government definitely has a lot of say in what is said there.

I really don't see these as equivalent. I think that's right-wing political attack points.

I used to work in public broadcasting and the idea they only get 1% of their funding from the state is a fiction.

[Bootstrap]

A few relevant quotes on doing truth:

Telling the truth is hard work; it demands a sincere commitment to accuracy and a respect for reality that ******** hogwash does not require.

-- Harry Frankfurt (quote cleaned up a little)

The truth is hard, it is relentless, it requires us to look into the abyss and not flinch.

-- Nietsche

The truth is often unpopular, and it takes courage and perseverance to stand by it in the face of criticism and backlash.

-- John Stuart Mill

Writing truthfully is a job that requires not only intellectual honesty but also a deep and ongoing commitment to the world as it is, not as we wish it to be.

-- George Orwell

[Bootstrap]

I used to work in public broadcasting and the idea they only get 1% of their funding from the state is a fiction.

Please provide verifiable facts to support your claim.

Here are some sources that are probably reliable. I haven't studied them yet. My claim may or may not be true ;-> I think these contain the evidence to find out.

https://www.npr.org/about-npr/178660742 ... o-finances

https://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/financials

[Soloist]

I used to work in public broadcasting and the idea they only get 1% of their funding from the state is a fiction.

Please provide verifiable facts to support your claim.

It really depends on how you look at it.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/3 ... uture/amp/

[Josh]

I used to work in public broadcasting and the idea they only get 1% of their funding from the state is a fiction.

Please provide verifiable facts to support your claim.

Here are some sources that are probably reliable. I haven't studied them yet. My claim may or may not be true ;-> I think these contain the evidence to find out.

https://www.npr.org/about-npr/178660742 ... o-finances

https://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/financials

Sorry, Boot, not playing your game by your rules.

When I worked in public broadcasting, my job was funded at its origin by federal spending for “parenting” at HHS. This took the form of grants to a private foundation that in turn made grants to a public broadcaster which in turn funded my position.

Pretty much the whole thing works that way although private foundations and corporate money are significant too. I had to fill out lots of (pointless) paperwork for the foundation to then turn into the government to show how they were supporting “parenting”. (My actual job duties involved working in the PBS Kids website.)

I would not trust NPR or CPB’s marketing materials to tell you the real story.