The cryptocurrency community has once again been cautioned to approach mainstream media with skepticism in light of the ongoing scandal involving NPR CEO Katherine Maher. The resignation of NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner has sent shockwaves through the media industry. Politicians, activists, and editors have criticized Maher, who is also the former CEO of Wikimedia, after Berliner was penalized for criticizing NPR’s coverage in The Free Press.
Some critics have come out in support of the former NPR editor, with activist Christopher Rufo sharing a video in which Maher admits that Wikipedia censored certain information during the 2020 U.S. elections and the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the video was recorded during an online panel discussion at the 360/Open Summit hosted by the Atlantic Council in 2021, Maher’s words have gone viral on the social media platform X following Berliner’s resignation.
Maher stated in the video, “We took a proactive approach to combat disinformation and misinformation during not only the last election but also the global pandemic. We supported our editing community in an unprecedented moment by setting up a clearinghouse of information in collaboration with the government to identify threats.”
In the same speech, Maher reportedly expressed her view that the First Amendment of the United States, which guarantees freedom of speech, is the “number one challenge.” She acknowledged that protecting free speech makes it challenging to suppress “bad information” and the “influence peddlers who have created a thriving market economy around it.”
Maher’s admission has caught the attention of prominent commentators, including X owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Musk commented on Rufo’s video, saying, “This keeps getting crazier! The head of NPR hates the Constitution of the USA.” He also expressed his lack of surprise regarding Wikipedia’s censorship of information during U.S. elections and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maher’s skepticism towards freedom of speech stands in contrast to recent remarks made by Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, who emphasized that freedom of speech is Telegram’s top priority in an interview with Tucker Carlson on April 17. Durov also revealed that he doesn’t own any significant assets like land or real estate and instead values his freedom by holding Bitcoin (BTC) and cash, enabling him to focus on doing his best for Telegram.