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From the President

  Contact: norms@wxxi.org

 

Twitter's labeling of NPR

By Norm Silverstein ~ Posted Thu, 04/13/2023 - 4:25pm
You couldn’t have listened to the news this week without hearing something about the "War of Words" between John Lansing, president of NPR, and Elon Musk, billionaire, inventor, and owner of the social media site Twitter. Musk has gotten it into his head that because NPR receives a small amount of funding from the federal government, it should be labeled as government-funded, with the implication that NPR is beholden to power brokers.
 
Let me assure you, nothing could be further from the truth.
 
NPR doesn’t pay member stations like WXXI to run their programming. We pay dues to NPR for the right to air their programming, helping to keep our members and our community informed. And where does that support come from? Member support, corporate underwriting, grants, bequests, and the generosity and interest of our listeners.
 
Why do people contribute? Because they know this is the place for fact-based journalism. This is Rochester’s place for news that matters. And, our reporters, announcers and editors are among the best.
 
In the more than 25 years that I’ve been at the helm at WXXI, I have never had a politician or government official call and try to influence me or get me to change a story. You’ve heard our pledge drives and may have made a gift yourself.
 
With your continued support, we’ll keep our community strong with news that matters, not confusing gibberish that seeks to undermine the truth. That’s what people expect from their WXXI… and that’s what we intend to deliver.
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More Recent Messages

March is "Music in our Schools Month"

By Norm Silverstein ~ Posted Fri, 03/15/2019 - 4:12pm

March is “Music in Our Schools Month,” a national celebration designed to engage music educators, students, and communities to promote the benefits of music education programs in schools.

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WXXI to acquire CITY Newspaper

By Norm Silverstein ~ Posted Thu, 12/20/2018 - 12:11pm

As you may have heard, we are kicking off 2019 with a good news story about independent media in our community. WXXI has signed a letter of intent to acquire CITY Newspaper and its digital platforms. Mary Anna and Bill Towler, founders and co-publishers of CITY Newspaper, approached WXXI with the desire to extend the service of the newspaper beyond their eventual retirement.

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Remembering a few accomplishments from 2018

By Norm Silverstein ~ Posted Fri, 12/07/2018 - 5:21pm

As we approach the end of 2018, I’d like to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year. In addition to compelling programming from NPR, PBS and the Little Theatre, we are proud of the work we do to engage with our community. I’m pleased to share a few highlights from the year.

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WXXI and PBS stations across New York dedicate a week of programming and reporting to the opioids crisis

By Norm Silverstein ~ Posted Fri, 09/28/2018 - 4:43pm

You may remember the Opioid Crisis: The Ripple Effect reporting series that our news team produced last April in partnership with several major media stations, one in Portland, Oregon, the other in Cleveland, Ohio.

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