FNC's Jesse Watters Rips New NPR CEO

Fox News host Jesse Watters calls out NPR CEO Katherine Maher after longtime editor Uri Berliner was suspended Tuesday without pay after exposing the extent his employer's alleged liberal bias on "Jesse Watters Primetime." 

Katherine Maher, the current CEO of NPR, has been at the center of recent controversies. Let’s delve into the details:

Uri Berliner’s Critique: Uri Berliner, a suspended NPR editor, has been vocal about his concerns regarding the network’s left-leaning bias. In an essay, Berliner asserted that NPR has “lost America’s trust” due to its reporting with a left-wing bias. He specifically criticized CEO Katherine Maher for her past social media posts. Maher’s previous tweets include calling Donald Trump “racist” in 2018 and criticizing Hillary Clinton’s language use. Berliner believes that NPR needs a leader who unifies and understands the broader perspective of what America stands for. He considers Maher’s views to be the opposite of what the embattled radio outlet requires.

Maher Shows Bias

NPR’s Response: NPR suspended Berliner for five days without pay after his essay sparked controversy. The suspension was based on Berliner’s failure to secure approval for outside work, a requirement for NPR journalists. Maher herself faced criticism for her liberal bias following her response to Berliner’s essay. She defended NPR’s journalism but was accused of being “profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning” by Berliner. Despite the tensions, Berliner remains committed to NPR, advocating for great journalism devoid of opinions.

Katherine Maher’s Background: Maher was appointed as NPR’s President/CEO in March 2024. Prior to this role, she served as the CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation. She also held the position of CEO at the technology conference Web Summit. Additionally, Maher is a Foreign Affairs Policy Board member for the United States Department of State3. In this ongoing saga, the clash between journalistic integrity, political perspectives, and leadership remains a topic of intense scrutiny.

And today, the NY Times reports Berliner was suspended by the network for five days, starting Friday, for violating the network’s policy against doing work outside the organization without first getting permission.

Berliner acknowledged his suspension in an interview with NPR on Monday, providing one of the network’s reporters with a copy of the written rebuke. In presenting the warning, NPR said Mr. Berliner had failed to clear his work for outside outlets, adding that he would be fired if he violated the policy again.