Thoughts from
San Diego on Law, Politics, and Culture

 
Now I really don't have to feel guilty about not donating to NPR
By Tom Smith

San Diego heiress Joan Kroc (her husband was one of the founders of McDonald's) recently died, and her bequests are making news. In addition to a $50 million bequest to our own University of San Diego to endow an Institute of Peace Studies (an another $50 million to Notre Dame for similiar purposes), she has left $200 million to National Public Radio, the station I masochistically listen to almost every morning. I never, ever give money during Pledge Month. I figure I pay taxes, and that is enough. Also, I start out with $1000 budgeted to give them every year, but then take away $1 every time they say something biased or egregiously stupid. So far they always owe me money.

Some ancient history. The year I worked in the Council of Economic Advisers, the office next door was for the guy in charge of international trade issues. I had been following the debate over the free trade agreement with Canada (later rolled into NAFTA) with concern. NPR had me convinced it might not pass the Senate. They were taking the Canadian left view that it would lead to the nasty Americanization of that great, snowy fishing paradise to our north. After the vote, I remarked to my colleague that he must have been greatly relieved by the passage of the treaty, thus making a complete fool of myself. He looked at me puzzled, saying the treaty had enjoyed a large margin of support from early on; nobody had been the least worried it would not pass. Now whenever I listen to NPR, I constantly remind myself that it is not just biased; it is actively trying to mislead me. It's hard to avoid being misled and drive at the same time.
posted by thomas at 11/06/2003 09:03:00 AM