NPR Hides Host's Speech for Pay

November 5th, 2011 7:21 AM

Guest hosts of the NPR-distributed Diane Rehm Show announced on Thursday and Friday that "Diane is in Maine on a station visit." But that description to the public was incomplete. In fact, Rehm went to Portland, Maine as a keynote speaker on Friday to the fall conference of the local environmental group Maine Businesses for Sustainability. "Diane Rehm will discuss the ways in which sustainability and sustainable concepts have infiltrated current events, touching on her personal observations of sustainability trends in the media."

Rehm isn't exactly an environmental scientist, but online, it's suggested she charges $7,000 to $20,000 and a first-class plane ticket for a keynote speech.

MBS is all about promoting "renewable energy" sources like solar and wind power. Did Rehm talk about Solyndra scandal coverage trends in the media? (Or all the bias by omission?) Their PR patter sounds like this:

Maine Businesses for Sustainability is a network of Maine businesses expanding their bottom line through sustainable business practices and triple bottom line values. Sustainability is much more than green practices - it includes profitability, community engagement, and employee relations, as well as environmentally friendly practices. MBS membership benefits those just learning about sustainability and those businesses that have sustainability incorporated into their mission.