Why was NPR so late to the party on Biden allegation

Kelly McBride looks into reporting on Biden accusation [NPR public editor with Poynter's Kelly McBride] Last week when I decided to write about NPR’s reporting approach to covering Tara Reade’s [sexual misconduct accusations]( I really thought I was doing more of an explanatory piece than a critical piece. But the more I looked closely at the timeline and asked questions, the more I realized that NPR was slow out of the gate. There’s a good reason for that. There’s a lot going on, and the story has incredibly high consequences. But you’ll see in my column that in addition to applying its very high standards, I wish NPR had been more aggressive. [Read the column]( [from the inbox ] May Day watch Martin Oswald writes: I'm writing to air concerns over the framing and accuracy of this [article]( that appears to equate May Day protests by workers' groups and essential workers with the "Reopen" protests phenomenon. The article fails to draw an accurate distinction between these groups and outright conflates the two to the detriment of understanding the concerns and constituencies of the two groups. It is irresponsible and inaccurate to claim these two protests are alike. You’re right. They are not the same thing at all, but the transition device the writer uses to move from one topic to another makes them seem somehow related. Source of the sound Jeff Scott-Densic writes: While not specific to Morning Edition, [many] program hosts feel the need to inform the audience when their guests are being interviewed "via Skype". What value to the listening audience does that added information provide?. This is radio after all. It comes across to me as blatant product placement. Actually, interviewers do that for a variety of reasons, and product placement is not one of them. I’ve heard mentions of Zoom, too. The sound quality of such interviews is often a bit uneven, so stating that the interview happened via Skype is a signal to listeners to be forgiving. It also helps explain weird beeps and computer noises. Finally, for the purposes of transparency, NPR often reveals the circumstances of how sound was gathered, including if it was in-person where it was conducted, if the guest was recorded via a member station studio or in one of NPR’s own studios. And finally, Skype’s terms of use require that if audio or video gathered during a session is broadcast, that the software be credited. What's in a name Brian Lang writes: The term “gender reveal” is a misnomer. A baby’s biological sex is revealed by an ultrasound. Its social gender is not. Using this phrase implicitly supports the anti-transgender view that “social gender” is set at birth. It is not. What is occurring is a “sex-reveal.” We assume you’re referencing this [story](. Fair enough, but if the whole world is using the term one way, including the sources in a story, reporters can’t impose a whole new lexicon. [On my mind ] Reported by Meredith Roaten, Public Editor researcher Edited by Kelly McBride, Public Editor There’s so much NPR content worthy of praise, criticism or just a little bit of conversation. Here’s a place where I can share a line or two about things that caught your attention or mine. Bad tweets This tweet from NPR Health repeated a bad headline that was published on the website. [NPR Health News tweet with incorrect headline] The headline was fixed almost immediately. But the tweet stood, because it was automated and posted to Twitter as soon as the story was published. After astute followers alerted us to the mistake, we made some inquiries. We found that the headline had been corrected on [the story]( but no note of a correction had been made. That was fixed. NPR’s ethics guide [mandates]( that an incorrect tweet be deleted and a correction then issued with a screenshot of the deleted tweet. Editors [issued a correction]( about 24 hours later, but not before the internet took notice. Editors on NPR’s Science Desk said the account is occasionally reviewed by editors from the desk and manual tweets are sometimes made, but this slip-up shows that mistakes happen and a system should be put in place to catch them quickly. The Twitter account, which has nearly 1 million followers, is important for alerting the audience to new stories. Editors noted that it's not possible to thoroughly review each tweet. Editors on the Health Desk and the Social Desk are coordinating to improve the system and make sure errors like this one don’t fall between the cracks. “This account has a very large following and is one of the ways we get the network’s health stories out,” said Science Desk Editor Scott Hensley. “I think better monitoring and/or a clearer feedback process for reported problems would be the first things to try.” Pulitzer Prizes for audio The Pulitzer Prize Board handed out its first audio award ever in the 100+-year history of the prestigious accolade. [This American Life won for an episode]( on immigrants waiting, while living in horrific circumstances, for asylum applications to process. Finalists include NPR for the [investigative series White Lies]( and Radiotopia for the [fourth season of Ear Hustle]( about life in San Quentin State Prison. If you like our new format, please share this newsletter with one friend and encourage them to [sign up](. The Public Editor serves as an independent mediator on questions raised by the audience regarding the standards and ethics of NPR’s journalism. [Read more]( from the NPR Public Editor, [contact us]( or follow us on [Twitter](. You received this message because you're subscribed to Public Editor emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy](