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Carl Kasell, the longtime NPR newscaster who breathed new life into his career as the judge on the public radio station's "Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me!," has died, NPR reports. He was 84.
The radio personality reportedly died Tuesday in Potomac, Md. of complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Kasell, who was known as the steady voice of the news on NPR for more than three decades, grew up in Goldsboro, N.C. with the dream of one day getting his pipes on the air.
"Before I even started to school," he told NPR in 2009, "I sometimes would hide behind the radio, which would be sitting on a table, and pretend that I was on the air, and try to fool people that came by to listen."
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Famed NPR Newscaster Carl Kasell Dies at 84
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Can anyone remember when the times were not hard, and money not scarce?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bobthecimmerian on Wednesday April 18 2018, @12:01PM (5 children)
In the last two weeks they interviewed a member of the Republican Freedom Caucus and several other Republicans in state and federal governments across the country on things like the tax cuts, the growth of the oil industry and thus state economy of Texas, and the Republican primaries. So specifically which people and which topics are they avoiding?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 18 2018, @12:45PM (2 children)
Yes, they're fairly good about at least letting people they disagree with have a say. However they usually pull in several times as many voices to oppose them, though not necessarily in the same segment. The questions they ask and how they steer the discussion when they do have an opposition voice is also telling. It's not as bad as "Mr. Trump, how long since you quit beating your wife?" vs. "Senator Clinton, do you like puppies?" but it's not too subtle so as to be invisible unless you just don't want to acknowledge it.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 18 2018, @02:10PM (1 child)
In your opinion.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 18 2018, @02:55PM
No shit, Sherlock. It's a fairly disinterested opinion though as I only listen to NPR when The Roomie forces it upon me during road trips. I prefer music.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Wednesday April 18 2018, @10:19PM (1 child)
As much as I hate to agree with the troll, Mr. Buzzard has a kernel of truth -- just a kernel -- in what he says. I'm far more liberal on some issues than NPR hosts, and more conservative than them on others. (Because I don't buy into the standard "spectrum" analogy, which resolves around a lot of logically inconsistent opinions.) And I've donated to NPR for years, so overall I'm a fan.
Yet, it's pretty clear if you actually pay attention that it tends to slant a bit liberal. It mostly comes out in interviews and how aggressive the hosts are in questioning guests, the types of questions they ask, etc. Often liberal-ish guests get a "pass" when they say something a bit strange or problematic or even extremist. More conservative guests will often get more intense and critical questioning in such a situation. Some hosts are more prone to this than others, and in general the effect is often less pronounced on standard daily "news segments" (Morning Edition, All Things Considered), but it sometimes still appears.
That said, NPR is far from "liberal propaganda," and I honestly think the hosts attempt to do a good job at being balanced. That's why I contribute money to NPR, because many other sources don't even try so hard. It's just difficult really being balanced when the assumption you (and all of your colleagues) have is liberal perspectives as "norm." You're just not aware sometimes about your blindspots.
And honestly, I like the aggressive questioning of conservative guests a lot of the time. I'm just disappointed that liberal guests don't get called out as much for faulty logic or BS.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday April 18 2018, @10:50PM
S'all I'm sayin, yo. I know they ain't MSNBC.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.