Liberal journalists rush to the support of other liberal journalists to insure the wider distribution of liberal bias. That’s why you see networks like CBS rushing to defend “public” radio from Republican efforts to defund it.
On Monday’s CBS Evening News Plus, anchor John Dickerson warned: “Coming up…federal funding cuts to public broadcasting and NPR are putting rural radio in jeopardy of shutting down.”
Sorry, I grew up in a small "rural" town, so I wouldn't call a city of 187,000 people a "rural" area.
After an ad break, Dickerson picked up again: “In tonight's In Depth, we take you to a corner of rural America where the local radio station is one of the few sources of news left in Shreveport, Louisiana.”
What? “Public” broadcasting backers constantly pretend they’re the only “news” game in town. The average American can ask oh, the Bing search engine: “where do you get news in Shreveport?”
To get news in Shreveport, you can stay informed with The Shreveport Sun, which provides breaking news, in-depth analysis, and cultural events. You can also check out shreveporttimes.com, which offers local news and headlines from around the world. Additionally, local news is available on KTAL NBC 6, KMSS FOX 33, and KSHV 45. [This doesn't even include KSLA, the CBS affiliate, or KEEL, the AM/FM news/talk radio station.]
Houston-based CBS reporter Karen Hua's one-sided promotional piece centered on her hero Jeff Ferrell, the "public" radio station's news director, working "15-hour days covering news in three states."
We're told that this station's federal funding is about $160,000 a year, about 15 percent of the station's budget. Because these networks can't possibly be subtle when NPR subsidies are at stake, the CBSNews.com version of the story is headlined:
Inside a Louisiana NPR station threatened by federal cuts: "Without it, people would die"
These people always pretend you can't get an emergency alert from any of the other media outlets in town -- although alerts are required, as well as getting alerts on your cell phone. Liberals automatically assume that poor people who can't afford internet all rely on the local NPR station. You don't have to prove it, you just assume it:
KAREN HUA: About 19% of Louisiana lives in poverty. And 15% don't have internet access, according to the U.S. Census.
JEFF FERRELL: You can't afford satellite TV. You can't buy cable. And they're alone. And so it is a lifeline. And what's great about this is that they feel connected. They stay connected to the world.
HUA: So, what's at stake here? What happens if your funding is cut?
FERRELL: We lose $160,000 out of a million dollars for the budget. It's less service to the people that need it most.
HUA: These cuts could be vital during hurricane season when stations alert folks where and when storms will hit.
FERRELL: Public radio saves lives. The emergency broadcast system. Without it, people would die.
Hua then turned to the local police chief, who agreed with the panicky talking point.
Amazingly, CBS never made the point that most of the Shreveport area is represented in Congress by House Speaker Mike Johnson. But maybe their selection of media markets wasn't accidental with NPR money on the line.