pleaseshowmehowtolive:kissdistinctlyamerican:jasencomstock:savingpaper:
Kevin Drum on “one of the great under-told media success stories of the past decade,” the growth of NPR in contrast to the decline of other traditional media outlets:
NPR’s listenership has nearly doubled since 1999, even as newspaper circulation dropped off a cliff. Its programming now reaches 26.4 million listeners weekly — far more than USA Today’s 2.3 million daily circ or Fox News’ 2.8 million prime-time audience. When newspapers were closing bureaus, NPR was opening them, and now runs 38 around the world, better than CNN. It has 860 member stations — “boots on the ground in every town” that no newspaper or TV network can claim.
NPR FTW. i’m a huge public radio advocate. i was raised on it but there was a distinct switch from listening on circumstance (it being the channel on in my mom’s car) to seeking it out on my dial. score one for staying the course and producing solid, engaging, valuable and in-depth programming. see what happens when you’re not chasing ads?
