7. Rethinking the American Public: NPR and the Pursuit of the Ideal Latinx Listener

Abstract

National Public Radio (NPR) was designed with two clear mandates: to engage listeners more directly in civic discourses and to represent the diversity of the nation. The degree to which NPR has delivered on these mandates has been a point of contention. Critics of NPR have argued that, by creating programming for white, middle-class boomers, NPR has consistently served an audience that is already inclined to engage civically. In recent years, however, profound demographic change has put NPR at odds with an American electorate that is becoming increasingly culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse. In this chapter, the author explores how NPR defines its ideal Latinx listener and the resources it invests in creating relevant programming for that listener. At 18 percent of the US population, Latinxs are becoming an increasingly important part of the American electorate that NPR is tasked with serving. Based on interviews with public radio practitioners and a review of NPR and Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) strategic documents, the author argues that NPR has defined its ideal Latinx listener in ways that are congruent with its current target-audience profile. Such targeting practices have important implications for who gets to participate in civic discourses and who is excluded.