Amid a scandal involving NPR CEO Katherine Maher, doubts about the reliability of mainstream media as a source of information have resurfaced. The recent resignation of NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner has sent shockwaves through the media industry, prompting criticism of Maher from various politicians, activists, and editors. Berliner reportedly faced backlash for his criticism of the outlet in an op-ed for The Free Press.
Support for the former NPR editor has also emerged, with activist Christopher Rufo sharing a video in which Maher admits that Wikipedia aimed to combat disinformation during the 2020 U.S. elections and the COVID-19 pandemic. Some, including Rufo, view this as censorship. Although the video was recorded during an online panel discussion held by the Atlantic Council in 2021, Maher’s speech has gone viral on the social media platform X following Berliner’s resignation.
Maher explains in the video that the Wikimedia Foundation, which owns Wikipedia, established a “clearinghouse of information” to enable editors to collaborate with the government in identifying threats during the election and pandemic. She also emphasized that she sees the First Amendment of the United States, which guarantees freedom of speech, as the “number one challenge” in the fight against disinformation. Maher acknowledges that these speech protections make it difficult to suppress “bad information” and the “influence peddlers” who profit from it.
Maher’s statements have caught the attention of notable figures, including X owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Musk commented, “This keeps getting crazier! The head of NPR hates the Constitution of the USA,” while sharing Rufo’s video. Musk also expressed little surprise at the allegations against Wikipedia.
These accusations of content censorship by Wikipedia contrast with recent comments made by Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov. Durov reiterated in an interview with Tucker Carlson that freedom of speech is Telegram’s top priority. He also claimed to own no significant assets like land or real estate, preferring to hold Bitcoin and cash because he values his freedom and is focused on serving Telegram to the best of his abilities.