Dear UPR Community,
Twitter has labeled NPR’s official twitter account as “state-affiliated media.” This designation is usually given to government-controlled media outlets. In response to this news, we present the following facts:
NPR (National Public Radio) is a nonprofit media organization that produces and distributes news and cultural programming to a network of more than 1,000 public radio stations in the United States. While NPR provides programming to these stations, each station is independently owned and operated, and has editorial control over the programming it airs.
NPR is not directly funded by the U.S. government, although it does receive some funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 to promote public broadcasting. However, this funding only accounts for a small portion of NPR's total budget, and NPR is required by law to maintain editorial independence from the CPB and any other government entity.
NPR is governed by a Board of Directors, which is composed of NPR member station managers, journalists, and representatives from the public, who oversee the organization's operations and make strategic decisions. This board is responsible for ensuring that NPR adheres to its mission of providing high-quality, independent journalism and programming.
NPR's editorial independence is further protected by its code of ethics, which outlines the principles and standards that guide its reporting and programming. NPR journalists are expected to maintain their independence and objectivity, and they are not subject to editorial direction or pressure from any outside sources. NPR's funding sources, governance structure, and commitment to editorial independence all provide evidence that NPR is not state-run media, but rather an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to providing high-quality journalism and programming to the public.
Utah Public Radio does not receive funding from NPR. In fact, we pay NPR for programs that we air. We do the same with American Public Media and other distributors to broadcast national programs. UPR is not beholden to any one particular interest.
UPR is owned and operated by Utah State University from which we also have editorial independence. UPR and NPR are subject to various regulations and guidelines related to their use of public airwaves. For example, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires all broadcasters to operate in the public interest and to provide a certain amount of programming that meets specific educational and cultural standards.
UPR works hand in hand with Utah State University’s (USU) educational mission to serve our community. This partnership enhances our ability to deliver programming that informs listeners across the full spectrum of news, culture, and music. We provide our community with necessary and trusted news—researched and vetted--on critical topics so they can make informed decisions for themselves and their families. This is the most vital role that UPR plays. Truth, accountability, increasing civic participation for democracy, and bearing witness, are the journalistic principles that UPR stands on.
Thank you for being part of the UPR community. Please email us with any questions or concerns at tom.williams@usu.edu or kerry.bringhurst@usu.edu
Sincerely,
Tom Williams and Kerry Bringhurst
UPR Station Managers
