Organizational Navel-Gazing

In the wake of NPR President Kevin Klose's visit, I am once again astonished by the generous praise of our listeners. It's sometimes hard to credit that one can make a difference. One can also fall far short of the mark. As an institution, we do both on a regular basis. This is a time for reflection in public broadcasting: Are we dumbing down? Are we on the hook to big underwriters? Are we too white, too right, too left, too elite? Are we irrelevant to a younger audience? Do such exercises in organizational navel-gazing get us anywhere? Inquiring minds--your minds, our minds--want to know.