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Ombudsman's Report: November 2007

Total E-mail Filed- June 8- October 16, 2007: 4,259

Topics get their own folder/ category once there are more than 10 email messages received concerning that particular issue. Just because a topic does not have its own folder, does not mean the Office of the Ombudsman has not received questions/ concerns about the reporting.

Bias

541

 - General biased reporting

151

 - “Npr is too liberal”

34

 - “Npr is too conservative”    

187

 - “Npr is pro-Palestinian”

144

 - “Npr is pro-Israeli”

25

 

 

Campaigns

479

 - CAMERA

16

 - Conyers Report

61

 - Hoaxes

21

 - Kenneth Foster

100

 - Nuclear Energy

281

 

 

Corrections/ Accuracy

382

 - Grammar/ Diction

106

 - Misc

276

 

 

General Inquiries

174

 

 

General Suggestions/Comments

540

 - Suggestions/Comments

320

 - Story Ideas

220

 

 

Hosts/ Reporters

491

 - Negative feedback

280

 -- Juan Williams

134

 -- Mara Liasson

47

 - Network Appearances

16

 - Positive feedback

14

 

 

Letters of Appreciation

48

 

 

Music

18

 

 

NPR.org/ Technology

60

 

 

Offended Listener

359

 - On Air Violence

34

 - Other

90

 - Questionable Story Selection

201

 - Usage of Expletives

34

 

 

Offensive Email

10

 

 

Recurring Issues

1,016

 - Ahmandinejad

23

 - Blackwater

17

 - Brents

16

 - Co-Sleeping

44

 - Dan Rather

11

 - Environment/Global Warming

57

 - Filibusters in the Senate

23

 - Four Family Luxury

17

 - Gonzalez

12

 - Guatemalan Adoptions

91

 - Immigration

32

 - Iraq War

121

 - Jena 6

39

 - Katrina Coverage

24

 - Michael Vick

20

 - Minneapolis Bridge

20

 - Myanmar vs. Burma

24

 - O’Hanlon

10

 - OJ Simpson

15

 - Other

64

 - Petraeus Report/ Hearing

78

 - Presidential Candidates

199

 - Rover Resignation

23

 - Senator Craig

28

 

 

Spam

73

 

 

Station Issues

50

 

 

Underwriting

26

           
*Notes:

- This tally only counts email, but it is generally reflective of the concerns I receive daily via phone calls and postal mail.

- The “Bias” section of this tally has been broken down into more specific categories to incorporate the increasing email we received on the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict. In previous board reports, this conflict was listed under “Recurring Issues”.

- As major outliers in the tally, Mara Liasson and Juan Williams have each received their own folder for their commentaries, some of which include their network appearances on FOX News. Historically, each host/ reporter received their own folder, but with escalating concerns questioning Liasson’s and William’s reportage, the Office of the Ombudsman has decided monitor these two employees. This is largely due to the fact that their email/phone/postal mail earnings greatly exceed those of other on-air staff.

- While concerns about NPR’s reporting on the Middle East are continually submitted to the office, there is also an increasing apprehension surrounding the alleged bias of NPR’s coverage of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This is independent of the Six Day War Series, which merited its own folder in last quarter’s board report.

Chantal de la Rionda
Acting Manager, Office of the Ombudsman
Assistant to the Ombudsman