I just read that NPR is
getting rid of Robert Krulwich's excellent science blog, allegedly as part of cost-cutting. Cost-cutting? Really? Does anyone actually think that it costs a huge sum of money to run that blog? Surely the most expensive part of the blog is Robert Krulwich's time, which he seems more than willing to give. Seriously, we should find out what the costs are, and have a kick-starter project to finance it. Come on, NPR.
I honestly don't know what's been going on at NPR these days. I was pretty disappointed when they ended Talk of the Nation and Science Friday is now with PRI. It seems like they're slowly dropping a lot of their best programs.
ReplyDeleteAnzel, I agree. Regarding the blog in particular, I think the budgetary argument has to be complete garbage. Good grief - discounting my time, it costs me literally NOTHING to run my blog (b/c google provides hosting basically in exchange for information gathering). This has to be much more of an editorial policy decision.
ReplyDeleteScience has a bit of an ill odor among one-half of the ruling class, including the corporations that fund NPR. What benefit, exactly, does ExxonMobile get from a scientifically literate population?
ReplyDeleteCome on, Bernie - ExxonMobil desperately wants trained chemical engineers and chemists, and pays them handsomely. Arguing that they are in favor of a scientifically ignorant population is just silly. I think it's a huge stretch to imply that somehow NPR's corporate sponsors are antiscience and pushing NPR in that direction. It's far more likely that some beancounter somewhere has decided that blogs are not part of NPR's "core business" and doesn't want nominal radio personalities sinking their time into such efforts.
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