So many hosts quitting NPR

We ask if there are deeper problems [View this email online]( [NPR Public Editor by Poynter's Kelly McBride]( For the last six months, it’s been a steady drip, drip, drip of big-name hosts leaving NPR. As listeners, we’ve come to think of them as friends — Lulu, Noel, Audie. Their familiarity makes it painful to say goodbye. But if you pop in on the Twitter conversation, you quickly pick up on the many suggestions that these departures are more than just talented women of color moving on to better opportunities. In a column about these developments at NPR, we dig into the myriad forces behind these departures and suggest additional steps that NPR might take to stem the tide. [Read the column [here]( Carlos Carmonamedina for NPR Public Editor [4 NPR hosts quit in the last year, 3 were women of color]( [Read the column]( We also address three great messages from NPR audience members right here in the newsletter. One reader spotted an error that was later fixed. But the correction wasn’t noted. News consumers are still annoyed when journalists call Sen. Joe Manchin “moderate.” We are, too. And finally, a recent two-way interview began with the mention of a poll. But then nobody bothered to share the actual results of said poll. Read on to find our responses to each of these letters. There are treats at the very end. Here are a few quotes from the Public Editor's inbox that resonated with us. Letters are edited for length and clarity. You can share your questions and concerns with us through the [NPR Contact page](. Corrections without note Nicholas Garziano writes: Recently, [I read an article on NPR.org]( that was originally aired on Morning Edition. The story touched on the importance of diversity in children’s media. The very first bullet point brought up in the story (when I first read it) stated: “Mainstream media content still features mostly White characters, despite the fact that the U.S. population is no longer majority Caucasian.” … Within half an hour, the wording in the bullet point was changed to: “Mainstream media content still features mostly White characters, despite the fact that the U.S. population is increasingly more racially diverse.” … Interestingly, no mention of the correction was/has been made on either the NPR corrections page or at the bottom (or end) of the updated version of the story. … The information that was originally presented falls, in my mind, well beyond the threshold of a significant error. … At first blush we agreed with you wholeheartedly — the sentence was inaccurate, merited a correction, as well as a note for readers like you who might have seen an earlier version. But context is important. We talked with Elizabeth Blair, who reported the piece, Amy Morgan, a digital engagement editor, and Nick Charles, chief culture editor, about the change. The sentence was referring to U.S. children, which is a subset of the population that is no longer majority Caucasian, [they said](. The headline, the sentence before the bullet point in question and all information presented afterward are specific to U.S. children and media targeted at them. They felt that context was enough to let readers know they were referring to children, but once made aware that some weren’t reading it that way, they decided to change it just shortly after publishing. “In an effort to make sure that we are clear, concise and contextual, we decided to use more specific language,” Charles said. “If people read the piece, they will understand in no way were we saying that the majority of the United States population was no longer white.” According to NPR’s [ethics policy]( “As a rule, we don't make ‘silent’ corrections to our stories. We make corrections to help keep the public accurately informed, not to absolve ourselves of our mistakes.” Changing the language without a noted correction in this case was not intended to hide the error, but rather a quick way to reword the sentence to ensure the information was contextual in a piece that had just been published. Regardless of those good intentions, perception is reality, which is why journalism requires transparency. Anytime information is changed or clarified, it should be noted so that no one can jump to conclusions of ill intent. — Emily Barske What does ‘moderate’ mean (again)? Peter Pacheco writes: … for the past year I have been really puzzled. In newscast[s] and other programs Manchin and Sinema have been referred to as Moderate or Centrist Democrats. Which leaves me with a question: If they are centrist Democrats, who do you consider the rightwing Democrats? … Your question is a good one — if they are moderate, who is considered immoderate and by which standards? In a November newsletter, [we wrote]( about NPR’s habit of referring to these particular politicians as “moderate” in response to several letters we received from audience members who disagreed with the word’s use. (“Moderate” and “centrist” often seem to be used interchangeably, but we focused on “moderate.”) At that time, we reached out to NPR Deputy Washington Editor Krishnadev Calamur for insight into why some NPR stories referred to Manchin as a moderate. Calamur told us: “Sen. Joe Manchin describes himself as a moderate conservative Democrat and our description of him — as a moderate — is reflective of that. … Manchin is politically moderate compared to the rest of the U.S. Senate — and relatively moderate compared to his fellow Democrats. And while he might buck his party on some issues, he still votes with Democrats on an overwhelming majority of occasions.” But, as we wrote, we think the best approach is “to eschew short descriptors when introducing someone in a story in favor of informing readers more thoroughly with relevant details.” We concluded that most of the time when the word “moderate” is simply removed from the story, it doesn’t hurt anyone’s ability to comprehend it. For us, it came down to brevity vs. clarity. More thorough explanations or descriptions provide more clarity for readers and listeners than a single subjective word. As an office meant to advocate for audience members, we’re always on the side of clarity. — Kayla Randall Shouldn’t you say the numbers from the poll you’re citing? Charlie Steak writes: Why did [this piece]( [on the term people of Latin American heritage living in the U.S. prefer] seem to hide the results of the poll they are discussing? The results of the poll are that 2% or less accept the term "Latinx" and up to 30-40% detest it to the point that prospective voters would not vote for a candidate who uses that term to describe them! … It is disappointing to have to search elsewhere for the facts that are the basis of any story. The poll was a jumping-off point, but it wasn’t the story. We talked to Eyder Peralta, who conducted that interview as a guest host of Weekend Edition Sunday, about how he chose to focus his conversation with Isabel Araiza, a sociology professor. “Ultimately, what we thought was most interesting was the sort of cultural conversation around it,” Peralta said. “We wanted to talk to somebody who had a broader cultural knowledge. That was our thinking behind why we didn’t just solely focus on that poll. We sort of wanted to broaden the conversation a little bit to all aspects of being a Latino in the United States.” This seems like a solid strategy. Radio is meant to be conversational, and [too many numbers actually detract]( from a story rather than add to it. Part of keeping things conversational means following where the story goes. Araiza concluded that consensus on the term to describe those with Latin American heritage isn’t needed because it’s a cultural preference and no group is monolithic. So Peralta explored that idea rather than pressing for a definitive answer on which term should be used. That’s good interviewing. — Emily Barske The Public Editor spends a lot of time examining moments where NPR fell short. Yet we also learn a lot about NPR by looking at work that we find to be compelling and excellent journalism. Here we share a line or two about the pieces where NPR shines. Freedom via football [Some of Afghanistan's most talented young soccer players, members of what used to be the girls national team, gather for practice in Lisbon, Portugal, in November.]( Claire Harbage/NPR ALL THINGS CONSIDERED [An Afghan girls soccer team rebelled to play the game they love. Now they're refugees]( First they played football (soccer) when boys told them they should be at home doing the dishes. Then they escaped the Taliban. A group of girls from the Afghan Youth Women’s Football Team have found freedom as refugees in a soccer-loving country. In [this All Things Considered piece]( Joanna Kakissis tells the story of how humanitarian efforts led to the teens — who are among the best young players from Afghanistan — finding refuge in Portugal, where they could continue playing their sport. — Emily Barske 22 Tips for 2022 Life Kit is helping listeners start the New Year right with [22 tips for 2022](. The daily special series features actions that folks can take to make their lives better, from the small scale to the big picture. The tips include getting out wine stains, squashing negative self-talk and cutting back on eating meat and using plastic. There’s helpful guidance for anyone and everyone. — Kayla Randall The Office of the Public Editor is a team. Researchers Amaris Castillo, Kayla Randall and Emily Barske make this newsletter possible. Illustrations are by Carlos Carmonamedina. We are still reading all of your messages on [Facebook]( [Twitter]( and [from our inbox](. As always, keep them coming. Kelly McBride NPR Public Editor Chair, [Craig Newmark Center for Ethics & Leadership at the Poynter Institute]( Kelly McBride Public Editor Kayla Randall NPR Amaris Castillo Poynter Institute Emily Barske Poynter Institute The Public Editor stands as a source of independent accountability. Created by NPR's board of directors, the Public Editor serves as a bridge between the newsroom and the audience, striving to both listen to the audience's concerns and explain the newsroom's work and ambitions. The office ensures NPR remains steadfast in its mission to present fair, accurate and comprehensive information in service of democracy. [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]( [NPR logo]