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Comment by kevmo | Hacker News Reader

I am inclined to agree with Ms. Wu's assessment:

> And of course- when someone does something, but they aren't the right kind of someone let's pretend her name did not come up at the top of the search when you fact-checked this story right @NPRHealth ? Just say you want a straight white American tech bro to do it.

NPR is rife with bias, if you know how to look for it. I recommend reading Propaganda by Ed Bernays & then thinking about why the people who make huge donations to NPR make those donations (IMO, it's because NPR largely exists to reinforce the existing social structure).

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NPR is rife with bias, if you know how to look for it.

At which point you're going to have a serious confirmation bias problem. How would I know that I know how to look for it? Easy: I found some.

"If only you'd open your eyes and look for the truth!" is kinda how that comes across to me.

> IMO, it's because NPR largely exists to reinforce the existing social structure

Can you expound on this? I have come to a similar observation, but would be interested in hearing what specifically they’re reinforcing.

You're making sweeping general claims about the media which I agree with, but I'm asking specifically about this story. To the extent I would classify NPR as propaganda, it's (currently) for a particular half-progressive/half-third-way American liberalism that would love to have a story about a scrappy DIY global supply chain saving someone in Oklahoma.

ETA (since I'm rate-limited...):

> Do tell us more about NPR's liberal bias.

Sure. By telling these kind of fables about how global capitalism is actually good for everybody, they're trying to prevent growing class consciousness that would eventually force fundamental, revolutionary change to how we allocate resources.

Oh wait, you thought I was to the right of NPR? Sorry, no, that probability distribution is barely distinguishable from Nazism at this point. Also no one to the right of NPR would ever use the term "third-way" in criticism of it.

Ah, that explains your attitude here. Do tell us more about NPR's liberal bias.

>Sure. By telling these kind of fables about how global capitalism is actually good for everybody, they're trying to prevent growing class consciousness that would eventually force fundamental, revolutionary change to how we allocate resources.

YES. I love NPR as a news source, because of the oddball stories they cover. But they are solidly, solidly in the 'bootlicker' camp when it comes to how great and exceptional international businesses are at solving humanities problems.

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