The essay, published in The Free Press, accused NPR of attempting to undermine Trump's presidency by propagating Russia-collusion allegations that were later discredited. NPR has suspended Berliner without pay for five days, starting Friday, as reported by the outlet on Tuesday.
In a letter sent to Berliner on Thursday, NPR stated that the editor had failed to obtain the necessary approval to publish an essay in another outlet, terming it a "final warning." The outlet warned that any further violation of this policy would result in termination. Berliner has chosen not to contest the suspension.
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Berliner's essay and subsequent public remarks have sparked "deep anger and dismay within NPR," the outlet reported. In his essay, Berliner argued that NPR had unanimously prioritized race and identity, leading to a dearth of "viewpoint diversity" and a surge in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. He also criticized NPR for not covering the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 presidential election and for uncritically accepting Dr. Anthony Fauci's statements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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"Colleagues contend Berliner cherry-picked examples to fit his arguments and challenge the accuracy of his accounts," NPR reported. "They also note he did not seek comment from the journalists involved in the work he cited."
NPR's newly appointed CEO, Katherine Maher, criticized Berliner's essay on Friday, according to NPR, stating that it was "a criticism of our people on the basis of who we are." Maher had previously expressed support for President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign on Twitter and labeled former President Donald Trump as "racist" on social media in 2018, as reported by The New York Times.
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Berliner told NPR on Monday, "We’re looking for a leader right now who’s going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about. And this seems to be the opposite of that."
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According to its website, NPR receives less than 1% of its funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and federal agencies and departments.
"I love NPR and feel it’s a national trust," Berliner told NPR. "We have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they’re capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners."
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