In a recent development, NPR has suspended senior business editor Uri Berliner following the publication of an online essay that accused the radio network of losing the trust of the American people due to its alleged embrace of a "progressive worldview." The essay garnered strong backlash from right-wing critics, triggering calls to defund NPR.

According to NPR's David Folkenflik, Berliner's suspension without pay began on Friday and will last for five days. The network stated in a written letter to Berliner that he had failed to seek approval for publishing his work in other outlets, a violation of NPR policies. This is reportedly a final warning, with potential termination should Berliner breach the policy again.

NPR spokesperson declined to comment on the specific disciplinary action, citing a policy against discussing individual personnel matters. Berliner has yet to respond to CNN's request for comment on the matter.

Berliner's essay, published in The Free Press, critiqued NPR's news coverage, particularly its alleged failure to adequately cover significant topics such as the allegations of Donald Trump colluding with Russia in the 2016 election, the controversial Covid-19 lab-leak theory, and the Hunter Biden story published by the New York Post.

Berliner's criticism of specific stories was utilized to make a broad conclusion that NPR lacked "viewpoint diversity" and started "telling listeners how to think." However, NPR's editor-in-chief, Edith Chapin, swiftly pushed back against these claims in a memo to staff, expressing strong disagreement with Berliner's assessment of the quality of NPR's journalism and newsroom processes.

Several other NPR staffers took to social media to reject Berliner's views. NPR TV critic and media analyst Eric Deggans highlighted flaws in Berliner's essay, including the lack of seeking comment from NPR before publication and the omission of relevant information that could challenge his conclusions. Deggans also criticized Berliner for scapegoating staffers of color.

The essay immediately sparked backlash from Republicans and right-wing media, with accusations of "liberal bias" being levied against NPR. Calls emerged for the defunding of the publicly funded network, with emphasis on stripping its grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Former President Donald Trump, on his Truth Social media platform, categorized NPR as a "LIBERAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE" and demanded that no government funds be allocated to it in the future. Numerous hosts on Fox News further stoked the outrage with extensive programming discussing Berliner's essay.

Despite the controversy, Berliner clarified that he did not advocate for defunding NPR in his piece and rejected Trump's characterization of the network as a "liberal disinformation machine." He highlighted that Trump's attacks on the media are not unprecedented and are likely to continue.

The right-wing backlash against NPR has continued in the days following the essay's publication. Criticism has extended to NPR's chief executive, Katherine Maher, over old tweets criticizing Trump. An NPR spokesperson dismissed these attacks, stating that Maher's expressions were made while she was not working in journalism and were protected by her First Amendment rights as an American citizen.

The suspension of Uri Berliner and the subsequent controversy have placed NPR under scrutiny as it navigates accusations of bias and works to maintain the confidence of its audience.