I've commented more than once on the religion reporting of Barbara Bradley Hagerty - her intense and less-then-honest reports on John Kerry's Catholicism, for example, and her connections to the evangelical World Journalism Institute. Now there is a new blog dedicated to unmasking her partisan reporting - and some interesting things have been revealed already.

Biblio writes:

Her religion reporting for NPR has focused mainly on Christianity, including a report on the Christian Science Church, in which she did not disclose that she was herself a former member of the Church. ... More troubling still is her association with Howard Ahmanson's Fieldstead and Co. and Fieldstead Foundation. Ahmanson is a California millionaire who uses his trust fund to finance right-wing Christian, anti-gay, anti-evolution groups and politicians. He was previously associated with Christian Reconstructionism, which advocates a Biblically-based government for the U.S. ... Hagerty has spoken twice at the Summer Institute of Journalism, a program run by the Council for Christian Colleges and University and funded by the Fieldstead Foundation. ... Hagerty's keynote address to the 2003 National Student Media Convention was also sponsored by Fieldstead and Co.

Apparently, these sponsored lectures are a violation of the Ethics Guides of her employer, NPR:

NPR journalists may only accept fees from educational or nonprofit groups not engaged in significant lobbying or political activity. Determining whether a group engages in significant lobbying or political activity is the responsibility of the journalist seeking permission, and all information must be fully disclosed to the journalist's supervisor. ... NPR journalists may not speak to groups where the journalist's appearance might put in question his or her impartiality. Such instances include situations where the employee's appearance may appear to endorse the agenda of a group or organization.

Currently, it seems like the NPR Ombudsman is denying that Barbara Bradley Hagerty has violated their ethics code - but it seems difficult to come up with any charitable interpretation of circumstances that would allow the Ombudsman to at least think they are correct. Hagerty has received money from Fieldstead Foundation to speak. Fieldstead Foundation engages in lobbying and political activity - as Biblio notes, they are listed on the American Association of Political Consultants' 2003 membership roster. Taking money from a group that engages in lobbying and political activity is a violation of NPR's "Ethics Guide." Period. End of story.

But NPR doesn't want to do anything about this. Tell me again how they are just a shill for the Left?

Read More:

• Fundamentalism
• Religious Right
• Christian Nationalism
• Evangelicalism
• Evangelical Christianity & Homosexuality