Transparent or an Enigma? Understanding National Public Radio.

What is National Public Radio? And what is all the fuss about lately? NPR is a massive media conglomerate that operates on both public and private funding. Recently the GOP proposed sweeping budget cuts aimed to chip away at runaway Federal spending. On the chopping block is none other than NPR. The organization is slated to receive zero funding under outlined proposals for the remainder of FY 2011. The Head of National Public Radio has cried foul - citing the possibility that significant portions of its member services could be hindered or eliminated without public assistance. NPR representatives note that between 1-3% of their funding comes from taxpayer dollars. However, understanding NPR funding is not quite that simple. In fact, it is fairly convoluted. NPR goes out of its way to diminish the role of taxpayer assistance despite the recent outcries over budget cuts. We certainly don't see people eagerly volunteering to give up that 3%. That being said these aren't exactly bold numbers one might oppose so vehemently. So how accurate are they? According to the NPR website, the organization receives allocations from the following sources: 32.1% - Individual  Contributions, 21.1% - Business Contributions, 13.6% - University Funding, 10.1% - Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 9.6% - Foundation Money, 5.6% - Government Funds, 7.6% - Other. An initial glance seems to confirm NPR's stance that a relatively small amount of funding comes from direct taxpayer dollars. A deeper analysis tells a different tale. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is almost entirely supported by taxpayer dollars. We can assume a reasonable percentage of University funding comes from Public Institutions. Personal and business donations are tax-deductible and thus subsidized. Even a modest search suggests that funding for NPR comes from taxpayer dollars, either directly or indirectly, to the tune of closer to 20% or more - a far cry from the 1-3% figures. The bottom line is this: people can complain all day long about politically-biased organizations such as Fox News, The New York Times, or the Washington Post. But those entities generate private funding. The same does not apply to NPR. These are public dollars. Since the early 1980's steps have been taken to wean NPR off government support. The organization does not represent the general public and often serves politically motivated agendas. NPR must generate private funding to deliver its message. Period.