NPR Confirms Uptick In Financial Support

The Secretary of State may not be thanking NPR for his week atop the headlines, but NPR can definitely thank him for boosting their bottom line, reports mashable.com.

Mike Pompeo made news last weekend for berating NPR journalist Mary Louise Kelly following an interview about Iran on All Things Considered, the national current affairs show she anchors.

Pompeo cut the Jan 25. interview short, after refusing to answer questions about Ukraine (despite Kelly confirming that Pompeo's staff had been made aware Ukraine would be part of the discussion). He then invited her into another room and, Kelly said, proceeded to yell and swear at her, accused her of lying about Ukraine being on the agenda for the interview, asked the Cambridge European studies masters graduate to point out Ukraine on an unlabelled world map, and told her, "People will hear about this."

And, because at no point was the conversation designated off the record, people did.

Kelly and Pompeo

Kelly calmly described the incident on air, and NPR listeners were apparently filled with a renewed appreciation for public radio journalism.

Staff at NPR member stations around the country came into work on Sunday to find an unusual uptick in donations — higher, even, than is usual during their regular donation drives.

NPR itself wouldn't give specific figures, but did confirm there had been an increase in donations.
"It is always wonderful to hear from listeners who value public radio," an NPR spokesperson said. "NPR encourages individuals to donate to their local member stations. Member stations provide essential financial support to NPR. By supporting your local station, you support NPR and you support local journalism."