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From the President
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.
