NPR Ombudsman Refuses To Speak To Glenn Greenwald About Torture

Bloggasm:

Salon blogger Glenn Greenwald has rarely been one to avoid responding directly to his right wing critics. He's been on Hugh Hewitt' radio show on multiple occasions and has even appeared on Michael Savage's show. As an opinionated pundit, he believes that people like him should be willing to face off with others in public forums that are not always friendly to their views, and he finds those that avoid doing so "cowardly and irresponsible."

Read the whole story: Bloggasm

Comments

[GEE]

NPR needs to be completely revamped. It was purged by the GOP and its remains are about useless. This used to be the premiere news establishment in my opinion. This is one thing I hope the Obama administration takes on seriously--Bush and his cronies, the "ombudsman" being one, need to go. NPR should have been a voice of reason and a voice of dissent at government excess. Sad.

[Sutungpo]

Folks, as a recipient of the wrath of Greenwald on at least one occasion, I have to point out that, while the guy is bright, articulate and sometimes right on issues, he's also the type of writer who will single out a reader and occasional commenter about things read on his blog for amazingly vehement and nasty personal notes regarding ideas that he perceives as differing from his own. He's a constitutional lawyer and knows his stuff. But he takes opposing views, even if espoused on personal correspondence between blogger and audience, seriously enough to have responded to my question about the government's use of legal violations of a less serious type in order to have prosecuted a violent pornographer who was known for raping and harming the women who agreed to "model" for him when they proved unable to win a conviction on the violence charges, in person, and to have stated that it was in fact individuals like me who were responsible for Abu Ghraib and the war in Iran. I in fact haven't voted Republican since 1980, and then only in a Senate race, and I've criticized the Bush regime at every occasion since 2001. My question was asked to get his opinion on the "Capone prosecution" type trials, where the government used what charges it could prove as opposed to directly addressing the more serious offenses.

If he came at me with that level of criticism, what would he do to NPR?

[valkyrie607]

I've been reading Greenwald for several years now and while I agree that his critiques are pointed and unforgiving, I would never describe them as "nasty." Vehement, yes, but not nasty.

Plus, your experience with him, however unpleasant, does little to alter the facts of this story. Shepard is doing a terrible job as an ombudsman; NPR, by refusing to use the word "torture" is in fact taking the Bush administration's side in this controversy. A controversy which wouldn't even exist if it weren't for the MSM's complicity with the torturers in high positions in our government. The fact that you believe Greenwald attacked you unjustly really has nothing to do with this.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Greenwald is really tough and uncompromising.
But he is fact based.

[Schvenzlerman]

It's not a Bush admin. side. It's a government side.

[Paxhope]

"But he takes opposing views, even if espoused on personal correspondence between blogger and audience, seriously enough to have responded to my question about the government's use of legal violations of a less serious type in order to have prosecuted a violent pornographer who was known for raping and harming the women who agreed to "model" for him when they proved unable to win a conviction on the violence charges, in person, and to have stated that it was in fact individuals like me who were responsible for Abu Ghraib and the war in Iran."

Do u ever stop to take a breath, or use a period?

[ibsteve2u]

Here's hoping the right is not smart enough to use blogs to push people into doing what they dare not do themselves, eh?

[LeeCalif]

NPR - National Pentagon Radio

[BlackSwan13]

Sure seems like that is true.

[texanna]

I used to listen to whatever NPR station that was available, but haven't done so for the last few years. Mostly I just lost trust that they were any better at trustworthy information than any of the traditional media sources. This article has only reinforced my impression.

[BlackSwan13]

I agree.

[PoliticalAmazon]

I agree, but for me there was another issue, too.

NPR sounds like they are on a new-age trank of some kind. That calm, breathy voice which is ubiquitous on NPR.

THey harken back to the old days were liberals would always speak politey and quietly, even as someone was stealing the 2000 election. When they discussing an issue about which they should be angry, they sound like they are discussing the latest window treatment on Martha Stewart.

Liberals lost a lot of ground while the new-age qualuuders soothed us into placency and passiviity, and we are paying for it now.

[zizyphus]

My gut feeling is that she is a mole, a spy, somehow hooked up with an intelligence agency.

[LemonMeringue]

She is not a very good reporter. NPR usually does much better.

[BlackSwan13]

It is hard to believe that NPR does much better when she is the Ombudsman. If NPR had a higher standard they most certainly would want their Ombudsman to be the best person they could get. They only care about $$$$$$. The public can be represented by someone like Alicia Shepherd because she is there to just fill a position. They don't care about reporting. They care about their own survival, just like all the rest of the reporters we have on the major networks.

[swift goat pet for truth]

"NPR usually does much better."

Better than WHAT? Faux Noise?

[mrfreeze]

I have been listening to NPR for 30 years in several different markets. Our local NPR affiliate, KUOW in Seattle, produces excellent programming. I'm afraid the national program has suffered for the last 20 years and yet.....I challenge you to try and find better reporting from the MSM. Essentially, they have all been neutralized by commercialism (including public radio) and frightened that they might not get "access" to the big players.

This whole issue of toruture is a carry-over of NPR's reluctance to report deeply about the last administration's incompetence and corruption. NPR, like so many other news outlets, is incapable of using the strong language required to tell the truth. If only George Carlin were here. His insightful discussion of the difference between "post traumatic stress syndrome" vs "SHELL SHOCK" is instructive. One has virtually no meaning or resonance, the other cuts right to the heart of things. When those who claim to bring us the news tap-dance around the issues and fail speak the truth, we don't have news......­we have entertainment.

[swift goat pet for truth]

"and yet.....I challenge you to try and find better reporting from the MSM."

LOL. That is damming with faint praise.

[BlackSwan13]

Alicia Shepherd does not know what the word torture means nor what the word ombudsman means. Go to the NPR ombudsman site and watch as she tries to change the subject to Michael Jackson instead of trying to represent NPR listeners. http://www.npr.org/ombudsman/

[VirginiaJeff]

For general news of the day, I'd still rather listen to NPR than any other television or radio news show.

[naschkatze]

I'd rather blog.

[flossophy]

Good, then you'll get a nicely filtered and sanitized understanding of current events.

[Bobzmcishl]

Like who cares about something as trivial as this? NPR is no longer relevant unfortunately and that is sad. At one time they were the best thing going on the radio. Bush sure take care of that.

[marco01]

Maybe NPR has become less relevant but the fight to preserve and defend principled journalism is ongoing and extremely relevant, making Glenn's stand against the deterioration of journalism at NPR a worthy and necessary fight.

[flossophy]

"Deterioration of journalism at NPR"...

Please... they had several decades of biased journalism before the conservatives finally got through to them. They were essentially American Pravda through the 70's, 80's and part of the 90's.

[naschkatze]

It's not trivial when millions of listeners are fed the euphemism "enhanced interrogation techniques" for torture. That is pure propaganda that the listeners let sink in without questioning. Have you ever noticed how there is a sort of attractive quality these euphemisms have for what are really horrible things? "Enhanced" suggests "improved". "Shock and awe" is bombing people to death but it's "awsome". "Collateral damage"--we are not talking about humans here, are we?

[flossophy]

Haha... yeah, NPR was great when there were no conservatives around trying to get them to be more balanced.

[flamflurm]

Yeah, NPR, the last bastion of the right-wing media establishment.

[jukesgrrl]

I take it you don't listen to NPR very often. It changed a lot over recent years as the Bush administration was successful in placing many conservatives on the boards of public media institutions. Those board members fought -- and were successful -- at having NPR, PBS, and others turn to the right in subtle ways. A dramatic example being the insistance that torture be called by euphemistic names. Other examples are stories that they just turn away from covering. NPR still is not FOX News. But it's a shadow of its former self of brave and distinguished investigative journalism.

[Antifascist-08]

Exactly. 8 years of harassment and takeover.

How many out there stood up to the Bush/Cheney fear mongering?

Go ahead, raise your hands.

We need to help NPR get back on track.

[Garrett123]

NPR is own to Click and Clack and Wait Wait.

The worst is talk of the (neocon) nation.

[IslandGyal]

------Did you all hear the Wasilla hillbilly is stepping down as Gov on July 25th?

[jan4insight]

You betcha!
;)

[raker]

Take your NPR contribution and send it to a politician who takes a stand against torture, who has the decency to say the word and show the pictures and be horrified by them. I will.

[naschkatze]

Or to one of the organizations fighting Obama in the courts, ACLU, CREW, Amnesty International. . .