Uri Berliner, a senior editor at National Public Radio who had been suspended from his job after claiming the network had "lost America's trust" by pushing progressive views while suppressing dissenting opinions, said he is resigning from the broadcaster.
"I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years," Berliner wrote in his resignation letter to NPR CEO Katherine Maher, and which he posted in part on X, the former Twitter. "I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay."
Berliner's resignation comes eight days after he published an essay in the Free Press that caused a firestorm of debate with his allegations that NPR was suppressing dissenting voices. In response to his critique, some conservatives, including former President Donald Trump, called on the government to "defund" the organization.
After the publication of an essay by NPR editor Uri Berliner criticizing the organization's editorial process, NPR's CEO Katherine Maher responded in a staff memo addressing his concerns. Berliner claimed that NPR was not considering other viewpoints and was overly focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Maher wrote, "Questioning whether our people are serving our mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful and demeaning."
Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues, including "Morning Edition" host Steve Inskeep, also criticized the essay. Inskeep wrote on his Substack that the article contained "errors and omissions" that reflected poorly on NPR.
Uri Berliner was suspended on Friday, as reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. NPR declined to comment on Berliner's resignation, stating that they do not comment on individual personnel matters.
