NPR’s top editor, Edith Chapin, faced pressure from one of the network’s hosts, Michel Martin, to disclose the identity of an anonymous funder supporting a new layer of editing. This comes after accusations of liberal bias in NPR’s coverage, highlighted by an essay from former senior editor Uri Berliner. The new layer of editing, known as the Backstop, will consist of six senior editors reviewing all NPR journalism before release. Critics within NPR argue that this could create unnecessary obstacles in the reporting process and be seen as a defensive response to Berliner’s essay.
Chapin defended the Backstop initiative as a measure to uphold the highest standards of NPR’s journalism, citing support from CEO Katherine Maher, the board of directors, and external funders. However, specifics of the funding source and amount have not been disclosed, pending finalization of the funding agreement. Despite concerns from employees about the timing of the decision to add a new editing layer following recent staff layoffs, Chapin emphasized that the move was about enhancing journalism and not a reactionary response to criticism.
The announcement of the Backstop initiative has sparked mixed reactions within NPR, with some employees questioning the necessity of additional layers of editing while others support the effort to ensure accuracy in reporting. NPR’s vice president for news programming, Eric Marrapodi, defended the decision, stating that the new group of editors would benefit the entire content division, even if he personally would have allocated the resources differently. Similar internal review processes exist in other news organizations, such as CNN’s Triad system.
At a staff meeting, Chapin clarified that the Backstop group would serve as a formal system to ensure all NPR content undergoes a final editorial review, ultimately reporting to her. She assured employees that donors would not dictate editorial terms and emphasized the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity. The initiative also includes periodic staff reviews of NPR’s ethics handbook, expansion of the standards and practices team, and off-the-record editorial briefings with newsmakers. While the decision to add a panel of editors raised concerns among some NPR employees, management sees it as a step towards enhancing the overall quality of reporting.
