Published March 24, 2011

Turn to the Wall Street Journal’s op-ed page today and you’ll find a byline you’re normally used to hearing, not reading, with your morning coffee. NPR’s Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep penned an opinion piece defending the network’s journalistic credibility — under fire after recent personnel upheaval.

On assignment in Egypt on the day ex-NPR CEO Vivian Schiller resigned from her post, Inskeep says he felt a disconnect between his work and his bosses. Inskeep writes:

When I had time to think about it, I noticed a contrast between the news that NPR reports from the Arab world and the news NPR has lately made at home.

Inskeep defends the network against accusations of liberal bias in its reporting. Citing surveys by media-watcher Gfk MRI, Inskeep said that most NPR listeners identify themselves politically as “middle of the road” or “conservative.”

At the time of Schiller’s departure, WBUR General Manager Charlie Kravetz spoke with Radio Boston about the leadership changes’ effect on NPR member stations and about the popular perception of the network.

WBUR has an extraordinarily broad-based support system within our community, for which we are enormously grateful. I think that ‘BUR is in a healthy position, but we’re yet to see whether or not there is an impact from what’s going on at NPR on our overall financial health. I’m optimistic, we’ll leave it at that.

As the resolution to strip NPR of federal funding continues to be debated in Congress, the scrutiny on NPR will only increase. Journalists like Inskeep believe that the network can withstand the increased pressure.