“I’ll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul”……

(NPR) — NPR’s first show, All Things Considered, turned 40 this month. Over the decades, NPR has added shows, exponentially increased its audience and become one of the most trusted news sources in the country. If you think of credibility as money in the bank, NPR’s account is healthy and robust – at least among its audience. But the organization made a judgment last fall that taps into that credibility account. The decision was to take $1.8 million from the Open Society Foundations. It’s funded by left-leaning billionaire financier-philanthropist George Soros, who made his fortune in hedge funds and currency speculation.

…When top executives told NPR staff about the Impact of Government project, they said the money came from the Open Society Foundations but offered no other funding details.

“I remember the email announcing the Impact of Government project only mentioned the Open Society Institute,” said one staffer who spoke on the condition of anonymity for obvious reasons. “My cubicle mate immediately said, ‘Isn’t that Soros?’ We Googled to confirm…and were appalled that his name had not been included, as if the company didn’t think it was important or were trying to hide something.”

Since that time, a deep current of concern has run through the newsroom about taking money from someone with a well-known, documented political agenda supporting Democrats and Democratic causes. Soros has been increasingly partisan since he announced his determination to defeat then-President George W. Bush in 2004.  (read more)