Whither MPR?

According to Smart Genes, the MPR newsroom is "on full alert" after the Keillor rants of the last few weeks.

[longtime DFL road-warrior] Blois Olson, "a Democrat forever" and Janecek's associate publisher at the Politics in Minnesota newsletter, characterized the Keillor rants as "probably the most bitter, immature commentary of that kind that I can ever remember." Looking at the financial downside, Olson added, "And good luck, MPR, the next time you go looking for federal or state money."

The MPR newsroom was on full red alert for unofficial, unvetted opinions on the Keillor columns. No one would speak on record. But it is known that several reporters and hosts were openly angered by the predicament in which the columns put them with the Coleman camp and less sympathetic listeners.

One rumor had it that MPR's news staff's access to Norm Coleman and Tim Pawlenty was suffering due to the flap. Sources in MPR disagree, saying that the Pawlenty and Coleman (and their handlers) are too savvy to let comments by Keillor - speaking in a forum unconnected to MPR itself - affect their relations with the media.

On the other hand - Bill Kling and Garrison Keillor's longstanding relationship to the DFL is not going to help them much during the next session, looking for funding in the GOP-controlled Minnesota House:

In 1995, MPR and the Democratic National Committee exchanged donor lists, and MPR admitted to purchasing such lists from the DNC prior to then. In 1996, MPR bought donor names from the Wellstone for Senate campaign. (Pioneer Press, July 24 1999, p. 2D.) In 1986, after Lake Wobegon themes were used to promote a DFL fundraising appearance by Garrison Keillor, Bill Kling wrote the Pioneer Press to express dismay over the “crass use of public radio programs and images to promote the DFL party.” (Pioneer Press, October 18, 1986.)

I always wanted to write a bit that starts "Whither..."

By the way - to answer a couple of emails I've gotten, I think that while M/NPR's programming is pretty forthrightly slanted to the left (Katherine Lanpher, Juan Williams, Keillor, Ira Glass and Michael Feldman would never be mistaken for "balanced"), the MPR newsroom does as good a job of maintaining professional detachment and balance as any newsroom in town, and better than several (the Strib and WCCO, for starters, at the very least). Never let it be said I'm not ecumenical.

Posted by Mitch at November 19, 2002 12:58 PM