UPDATE, MOVING THIS STORY TO THE FRONT: Support NPR by e-mailing ombudsman@npr.org to commend NPR for their correct decision not to give equal time to the anti-evolutionists. Already the forces of reaction and ignorance are mobilizing their troops: Pharyngula and Chris Mooney (see esp. his Update) have details.

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Three cheers for NPR for dissing the pathological liars at the Discovery [sic] Institute: Chris Mooney has the details:

“The Discovery Institute is going totally bonkers because NPR has courageously decided to do something that few other media outlets would dare: Refuse to prop up pseudoscience….

“ID supporters don’t deserve equal time with evolution supporters, because they haven’t successfully shown that their theory is a scientific rival to evolution. By creating the appearance of a one-on-one debate between ID and evolution, NPR would essentially be giving the impression that the two views have equal scientific stature. But they clearly do not….

“NPR needs to stand its ground and refuse to give in, despite loudly trumpeted accusations of censorship. The station needs to realize that these meritless charges are totally predictable: Discovery’s goal is to be part of the debate, to claim a seat at the scientific table. When the ID viewpoint is excluded, Discovery’s gang can be expected to cry bloody murder. And pretty soon, its media surrogates will take up the accusation (if they haven’t already).

“I say let them. Science isn’t a democracy, period. NPR needs to keep that firmly in mind as it comes under attack.”