Listeners Nick and David both take issue with NPR, though for different reasons. Nick, who has written to us about Israel before, wrote:
Mar 5 on NPR news [reporter Linda] Kellerman had to gall to ask Secretary Kerry if giving money to Egypt, during this time of austerity is a good thing. I state that Ms. Kellerman has the gall to ask, because she never once asked anyone about our giving well over $3billlion dollars a year, for decades, to the 20th to 23rd richest country in the world. That country is Israel. Isn't it time that Israel was stopped from [draining] the American taxpayer? I appreciate that Ms. Kellerman is an Israeli shrill [sic], but isn't she supposed to be a reporter first? Ms. Kellerman should be fired if she cannot be unbiased, balanced, and objective. Though with this criteria, NPR would probably have to fire 90% of it's reporters, commentators, and supposed experts on the Middle East.
Listener David sent us a copy of a letter he wrote to President Obama recently along with an op-ed column he wrote for the Raleigh News and Observer in 2006, after the death of his wife, a non-smoker, from lung cancer. He sent me a copy of this material because of underwriting on NPR by the for-profit Cancer Treatment Centers of America. He writes:
This company offers and promotes on television their services for patients and conveys the impression that successful treatment and survival is a normal expectation from their therapy. I believe this simplistic promotion dangerously misleads the public into believing that CTCA offers unique goods and/or services to successfully treat cancer in humans.
David cites the example of his wife, who lived for 5 years, 9 months and 23 days after diagnosis and hence is statistically considered a survivor. David, please accept our condolences on your loss. Thank you for writing.
A number of listeners have made inquiry about Jemila Ericson. Jemila has been absent from the air during her classical shift for several weeks to care for a family member. We hope to hear Jemila a bit during our upcoming fund drive, but in the meantime we’ve been relying on a changing cast of our regular staff members, some part-timers and some new voices. Listener ginger88 posted on our website:
Jennifer Montague is a breath of fresh air [on Morning Edition]! I hope we hear much more hosting from her! Asia Brown would also be a good replacement for Jemila Erickson. Of course Bob Workmon is a long time favorite.
If you have radio experience and would like to help out, please see our notice.
We’d love to hear from you on Friday Feedback, for your questions and comments, likes and dislikes about any aspect of the station. You can also send us feedback by filling out a Comment below, by sending us an email message or by calling our Feedback line: 910-292-WHQR (9477). And thanks for your feedback.