NPR introduced itself to me via an ad on a billboard as I commuted to school one day.
I was just a freshman at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and National Public Radio seemed just the thing a young journo such as myself would love. Now I can’t escape it. NPR has me by the heart.
Turning the dial of my radio to 91.5 FM helped to build anew my character, defining me now as a slave to whatever NPR wants to throw at me.
It started with a moderate crush, as most love affairs do. I swore I’d keep it simple. I would tune in to NPR only when it was convenient for me, and when I’d had enough, I’d end it. But soon, I started to wonder what NPR was doing. Sure, I had just listened to it, but maybe I’ll tune in again, just to see how it’s doing.
I began to spend more and more time with my NPR, listening to not only the daytime broadcasts but the late-night shows as well. “This is Fresh Air. I’m Terry Gross.”
I hung onto every syllable.
Then I started to dream about NPR. “This is All Things Considered. I’m Audie Cornish….and I’m Robert Siegel… Melissa Block… today in Syria… And that’s our show.”
I’d wake with a start. Surely I was still in control of this relationship.
Not long after, NPR asked me for money, and I didn't have the willpower to reject it. My dearest requested I give any amount I wanted, so as to sustain it and keep in on air.
A world without my NPR seemed unimaginable, so I gave just a little, though I’m not so sure I’ll have the control to keep myself from becoming a sustaining member the next time it asks me for some spending money.
I started to fear what was happening to me. I knew the most recent happenings in the country before I knew what the Top 20 Billboard was playing. When those around me talked about world news, I was suddenly able to keep up because my NPR told me about it the day before.
Maybe this sounds unhealthy. After all, NPR forced me to change who I was. I did what NPR told me to without hesitation. But NPR is very considerate. It always gives me just what I need even if I wasn’t aware I needed it.
The fact is I’ve never had news reported better in my life than when I’m with NPR. Past relationships, like my long-term CNN nightmare, seem so distant and immature.
NPR is everything to me. There’s no greater fulfillment than being in love with your best friend.
I’m even starting to enjoy some jazz during the night when NPR has gone to sleep, because NPR said it’s soothing and good for me.
Sure, I don’t really like jazz, but NPR told me to listen.
Reach the columnist at kwrenick@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @kwrenick
