By: UCR Candidate Sharon Adams
A recent article by FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, Inc.) shows the heavy corporate presence and lack of diversity at National Public Radio (NPR) both in the NPR boardroom, and on its airwaves.
Lack of Diversity and Corporate Dominance Characterize NPR Board Members
Seventy-five percent of board members at NPR’s most popular member stations have corporate backgrounds. As shown in the graph, one New York station has a whopping 90 percent corporate representation on its board.
Graph showing corporate dominance in NPR boards. Graph courtesy of FAIR.
As the FAIR article succinctly states:
“the inevitable consequence of this is to put legal control of what is supposed to be public radio into the hands of a tiny, highly privileged fraction of the population.”
In addition to the lack of economic diversity, the FAIR study showed a lack of ethnic and gender diversity on the NPR boards. Seventy-two percent of NPR board members are non-Latino whites, and 66 percent of board members are male.
NPR Airwaves Dominated By White Males
Another FAIR study found that, among the regular news commentators, 79 percent were men, and 92 percent were non-Latino whites.
KPFA Must Remain Free of Corporate Control
We at United for Community Radio (UCR) are committed to increasing diversity in the KPFA boardroom and on the airwaves. The upcoming election for the KPFA Local Station Board gives us an opportunity to do this. UCR’s platform specifically opposes corporate influence, and supports a mix of community-sourced, local programming.
We at UCR believe the NPR approach is the wrong approach. This is in contrast to our opponents running in the upcoming election. Our opponents suggest that KPFA should become “more like NPR”. The opposition’s desire to make KPFA more like NPR will lead to exactly what is happening at NPR — an increased corporate zeitgeist that will control the news and views expressed on KPFA.
LET’S LIBERATE MEDIA TOGETHER!!!
Keep KPFA free from corporate control and influence.
Vote for the UCR Candidates in the upcoming election for the KPFA Local Station Board.