NPR public editor on election misinformation in interview

Published on August 6, 2020August 6, 2020 by Mollie Muchna | Reading Time: < 1 minute

When an NPR interview didn’t go far enough to hold a public official accountable who was spreading false information about elections, NPR was transparent and admitted its shortcomings, running a column from standards editor Kelly McBridge about how the station could have done a better job providing context for readers. “Examining this particular segment of this particular interview, gives us a chance to hone our practices. Audience trust presumes we will not air blatant falsehoods. It’s an ongoing exercise to identify and sharpen the skills and tools necessary to place false information into a truthful context,” McBride wrote. *This work was done independently from Trusting News but embodies the work we do.*

Mollie Muchna

mollie@trustingnews.org | + posts

Project manager Mollie Muchna (she/her) has spent the last 10 years working in audience and engagement journalism in local newsrooms across the Southwest. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, where she is also an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona’s School of Journalism. She can be reached at mollie@trustingnews.org and on Twitter @molliemuchna.