Intermittently, there are some diaries on this site that criticize NPR for biased reporting and declaring never to donate a single cent to NPR.
While some of the criticism is valid, one must not throw the baby with the water. Here is my story that I hope will illustrate why NPR is important and why it is important to support your local station.
This diary was written quickly, so please bear with me.
Here we go.
I came to the USA at the end of 1995 and found myself in a quaint little town in New York in a region called "The North Country".
I have learned pretty quickly not to call the area "Upstate"....
We used to have a saying that "In Potsdam, there is winter and then there is Fourth of July". If it doesn't snow on commencement day (May) the locals consider it another proof for global warming.
St. Lawrence county where we lived is a very poor county and pretty conservative (at least in NY standards - NY23 district). Population growth is almost zero, and me and my wife were living like royalty on graduate students stipends....
However, Potsdam is a college town. Two universities (SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University)supplied the town with a vibrant, young and pretty progressive society.
An integral part of this community was the local NPR station - North Country Public Radio, or NCPR for short. It was broadcasting from another local university - St. Lawrence University in Canton. A very cool liberal arts college. The local lore claims that this was the place where NYC mobsters would send their daughters to keep them away from trouble (that is - boys).
Based in Canton, NY, in St. Lawrence County, NCPR operates a network of 32 transmitters broadcasting to the entire Adirondack North Country, western Vermont and southeastern Ontario. The commercial-free format includes a wide variety of programs from National Public Radio including All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Fresh Air and more. NCPR's award-winning news team can be heard weekdays at 8:00 am with regional news broadcasts, features and interviews. The station also airs an eclectic mix of locally-hosted music programs.
The station is totally committed to promote local art and culture while keeping the local community in touch with the outside world. In addition, when you listen to the staff that runs the station you really feel like talking to family members.
1998 was the station's time to shine as far as I'm concerned.
In January 1998 the massive "North American ice storm" hit the area with a vengeance. Within one night freezing rain caused the entire electrical grid from Quebec to New York to Maine collapse.
Millions were left with no power, and after the ice storm passed - temperature dropped like a stone. People who had to rely on electricity for heat and cooking were stuck. The roads were too slick, the police forbade any car travel, so going to the nearest town to restock on supplies was not an option.
I have this vivid memory of a flock of panicked turkeys running in circles on the icy road while trees were coming crashing down around them.
Me and my wife were living near a working dairy farm in an old house (built in 1832 using the local pink sandstone) and for two weeks we pumped water from the well using a Maple pump. Thank the FSM, we had a wood stove to cook and heat the house while a gas water heater supplied hot water to the shower. We were the only house on this county road that had telephone and my house became a hub for all the few neighbors we had to get in touch, get warm and have Spaghetti dinner parties. The look on the faces of the National Guard soldiers who came by to check on us was priceless. Needless to say they had good food that night.
Others were not as lucky and had to be evacuated to shelters. Families separated and had to live on emergency rations for several days.
During this time, NCPR staff stayed on the air 24/7 not only informing the population what is going on in general, they also relayed information among family members that were dispersed between several shelters.
they organized coffee drives for the electric maintenance crews that arrived from far away places (we have spotted a truck with California plates). They did a marvelous job keeping our spirits up and I credit NCPR with actually saving lives by disseminating vital information (As far as I remember, there were only two fatalities in our area).
Fast forward 3 years. We are in the DC area. Very different place indeed. The local NPR powerhouse station is WAMU, dedicated almost exclusively to news. And DC being what it is, even the local news had National implications. From the get go the differences between these two stations were obvious. While NCPR caters to relatively poor community, WAMU relies on one of the affluent areas in the nation. During their pledge drive I encountered a phrase I have never heard before - "suggested pledge amount". and it wasn't a small amount either. In one day the raise more money than the whole week of NCPR's pledge drive.
However the main difference in my eyes between the two stations manifested itself in 2003 when Hurricane Isabel struck the mid-Atlantic region.
Again, many people were left for days with no electric power. Houses were flooded. Water mains burst making the water undrinkable. Roads became blocked. The majority of the city population that was not that affluent to begin with, were really stuck.
WAMU did not miss a beat, and immediately......did nothing. Once in a couple of hours they gave some information when and where one can get bottled water, or when power is expected to be back, or which road was opened. But other than that - business as usual. Same shows, same people, same talking heads.
For me, this helped understand that not all NPR stations are not equal, and it is the interaction with the community that makes a station a real asset or just another run-off-the-mill talk radio.
You have to ask yourself, in case of a local emergency - who would you rely on to give you an accurate and meaningful information? What other station in your area allows you to feel like a part of a community? Which other station around you promotes local businesses and artists? Which other station around dedicates time to talk about art, literature, science and religion in a way that is informative and respect the intelligence of the listener?
So yes, if you get upset about something you hear about in NPR call them. Let them know what you think and express your anger. Without constructive criticism NPR cannot and will not get better.
However, don't punish your local NPR station just to make a point with the national organization. It may be proved to be counterproductive and actually hurt you and your neighbors. Cutting one's nose to spite the face is never a good policy.