Episode 393 • • 1:36:47 - 1:41:07
393: Throwing Yogurt
NPR Corporate Underwriting and Five-Hour Energy Promotion
NPR is accused of running a "promotional scam" by airing a five-minute segment on Five-Hour Energy and its founder, Manoj Bhargava, without explicitly disclosing the company's status as a major corporate underwriter. The segment featured a reporter "hooked" on the product, which the hosts argue blurs the line between journalism and advertising. NPR currently has 175 corporate underwriters but rarely provides on-air disclaimers during related stories.