NPR faces criticism after suspending editor who opposed partisanship in newsroom: 'Propaganda machine'

The veteran editor who spoke out about the liberal takeover of NPR's newsroom is facing criticism.

NPR's senior business editor Uri Berliner was suspended for five days without pay starting Friday, as reported by the organization's in-house media correspondent David Folkenflik on Tuesday.

Folkenflik wrote that it angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network's coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.

The news quickly went viral on social media.

Mollie Hemingway, a Planet Chronicle contributor, stated that NBC was intolerant of a single Republican journalist, while NPR was intolerant of a single journalist.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential candidate, wrote that the state-backed media in the U.S. is shameful and predictable.

Elon Musk, owner of NPR, declared that the network has become a hard left propaganda machine that does not allow dissent.

On Thursday, Berliner was suspended for violating NPR's policy of seeking approval before working for other news platforms. He was reportedly given a final warning, which would result in his firing if he violated such policies again.

According to Folkenflik, several NPR journalists have expressed their refusal to collaborate with Berliner in the future due to a lack of confidence that he will maintain the confidentiality of their internal discussions regarding stories while they develop coverage.

NPR CEO Katherine Maher announced new monthly meetings to promote intellectual openness and generosity towards conservatives, as per a memo to staff, according to a former NPR colleague of Berliner's who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Uri may find it more uncomfortable than he expected due to the hostility he is facing, according to a former colleague who added that it will be difficult for him to stay there.

NPR faced criticism from Berliner, a self-described anti-Trump liberal, after old posts Maher had written on Twitter surfaced, revealing liberal activism and woke ideologies, which Berliner believed were already problematic for NPR.

"Berliner stated that they are currently seeking a leader who will unite individuals and attract more people to the tent, while having a broader perspective on what America stands for. However, it appears that the opposite is occurring."

Maher defended her posts by stating that in America, private citizens are entitled to free speech.

NPR did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.

NPR's new president and CEO, Maher, has been criticized for her social media rhetoric, which includes supporting Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, sharing far-left talking points, and criticizing Donald Trump.

In a 2020 post, Maher wore a "Biden for president" hat and stated that it was the "best part" of her efforts to encourage voting.

Tears of relief streamed down her face as she wrote, "I can't stop crying."

In May 2020, she wrote that although "looting is unproductive," it was difficult to be angry about protests not prioritizing the private property of a system of oppression that treats people's ancestors as private property. In a separate post on the thread, Maher stated that property damage was not the main issue Americans should be concerned about.

NPR has been in turmoil since Berliner's essay was published, and conservative critics, including former President Trump, have called for removing the federal funding that supports the liberal organization.