# Propaganda Chief Takes Helm at NPR **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 10, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009 "2019-09-10T21:13:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/1 "2019-09-10T21:13:11Z")
> **[NPR Selects Voice of America Boss as Its New Leader (Published 2019)](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/business/media/npr-john-lansing.html)** > > John Lansing, who started his career as a teenage cameraman in Kentucky, will start his new job as chief of the public broadcaster in October. You can’t make this shit up. The Boomers just won’t go away. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/2 "2019-09-10T21:24:03Z")
The fact that you posted this in the Pit suggests that you think that there’s some reason why this is a bad thing. Would you care to explain just what that bad thing is? Because guy who used to be in charge of one radio station now being in charge of a different radio station sounds perfectly normal and unremarkable, to me. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/3 "2019-09-10T21:29:17Z")
Yes NPR is banking on gullible kept liberals not perceiving the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/4 "2019-09-10T21:35:23Z")
And apparently you don’t, either. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/5 "2019-09-10T21:38:55Z")
See thread title, bud. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/6 "2019-09-10T21:39:01Z")
I don’t know much about the guy, but he doesn’t sound all that bad to me. _“Four years ago, Lansing was named by President Barack Obama to be the first chief executive of the broadcasting outfit that was renamed the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Lansing has won plaudits from journalists for his rousing defense of a free press even while serving in the Trump administration, which has been notably hostile to traditional notions of the role of journalism in civic life.”_ > **[NPR Names Veteran Media Executive John Lansing As Its New CEO](https://www.npr.org/2019/09/05/758047287/npr-names-veteran-media-executive-john-lansing-as-its-new-ceo)** > > John Lansing will succeed Jarl Mohn as NPR's next CEO. Lansing is currently chief executive of the government agency that oversees Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, among others. I’m not much of an NPR listener but hope it stays viable. Having an experienced and successful broadcast executive in charge is a plus. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/7 "2019-09-10T21:39:04Z")
Is there a discussion here? I listen to NPR; I’d be interested in a discussion on any changes to the organization. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/8 "2019-09-10T21:44:46Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > See thread title, bud. Explain the thread title, bud. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/9 "2019-09-10T21:56:58Z")
My WAG is that it has something to do with VOA and its mission to broadcast what Farnaby considers capitalistic propoganda… ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/10 "2019-09-10T22:42:24Z")
The revolving door between oil, gas, and coal company lobbyists going into and out of the Trump administration ((Scott Pruitt, Vincent DeVito, Joe Balash) doesn’t get the OP’s hackles up enough to post, but NPR hiring a guy who once led a liberal radio station does. That kind of braindead, partisan hackery can only come from a complete and utter troll with the IQ of day old rat feces. ::checks OP’s name:: I nailed it in one! ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/11 "2019-09-10T22:43:36Z")
The current chief at NPR was formerly heading up propaganda operations for the US govt. If you are relying on NPR for information, it is highly suspect now if it wasn’t before. I would think individuals in a free society would not want to be influenced by propaganda, but perhaps I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/12 "2019-09-10T22:50:22Z")
In 1993, IBM hired Louis Gerstner as their CEO. He previously was the CEO of RJR Nabisco. After that, IBM started making cookies instead of computers! Remember that? No? Well, maybe it’s possible for someone to do work at one job and then do different work at a different job. I don’t know, it sounds crazy to me, but it just might be possible. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/13 "2019-09-10T22:52:08Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > The current chief at NPR was formerly heading up propaganda operations for the US govt. If you are relying on NPR for information, it is highly suspect now if it wasn’t before. > > I would think individuals in a free society would not want to be influenced by propaganda, but perhaps I’m wrong. [del]Excuse me if I don’t take your reportage at face value[/del]I wouldn’t trust you to read the ingredient list on a bottle of water without trying to put a sleezy right-wing twist to it. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/14 "2019-09-10T22:53:44Z")
I’m against him for a different reason. This hack spent two decades in for-profit commercial television. This is the fucker who did things like produce interesting TV shows just to sell ads and make a profit. These greedy capitalists can’t be trusted — just because he has been lining his pockets in the media business, he’s supposed to know something about broadcast journalism? Down with the baby boomers who use their position to enrich themselves! ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/15 "2019-09-10T22:55:16Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > The current chief at NPR was formerly heading up propaganda operations for the US govt. If you are relying on NPR for information, it is highly suspect now if it wasn’t before. > > I would think individuals in a free society would not want to be influenced by propaganda, but perhaps I’m wrong. I don’t “rely on NPR for information”, so I guess I don’t have anything to worry about. Presumably you know of some non-propaganda information source? If so, care to share it? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/16 "2019-09-10T23:04:26Z")
> [@](#): > > I would think individuals in a free society would not want to be influenced by propaganda, but perhaps I’m wrong. That’s rich, coming from a guy who consistently defends propaganda. Or is only bad when it’s pro-democracy propaganda, not when it’s pro-totalitarianism? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/17 "2019-09-10T23:16:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > That’s rich, coming from a guy who consistently defends propaganda. Or is only bad when it’s pro-democracy propaganda, not when it’s pro-totalitarianism? RT = beacon of truth NPR = statists killing babies ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/18 "2019-09-10T23:43:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Explain the thread title, bud. It’s WillFarnaby. There is always the same thing at the core of his message: Democratic War Mongers, Aaargh! ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/19 "2019-09-11T00:13:09Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > The current chief at NPR was formerly heading up propaganda operations for the US govt. If you are relying on NPR for information, it is highly suspect now if it wasn’t before. > > I would think individuals in a free society would not want to be influenced by propaganda, but perhaps I’m wrong. Fuck you. Fuck your rampant, undeniable, intractable idiocy. Fuck your hypocritical partisanship. Fuck your incessant, insipid trolling. Just fucking **FUCK YOU**. Yeah, I fed the troll. I try not to do it, but sometimes, _a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do_. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009/20 "2019-09-11T00:19:26Z")
Gee, I think **WillFarnaby** is a bit of an ass. I thought so before, I think more so now. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propaganda-chief-takes-helm-at-npr/840009.md?page=2)