Social Justice Candle - October 4, 2015
Special Social Justice Collection for WNIU/WNIJ NPR Stations
Through its special offertory collections during the year, UUFD supports local non-profit organizations that support our Unitarian Universalist principle and contribute to social justice. Today we are having a special collection to support our two local NPR radio stations, WNIU and WNIJ. What does NPR stand for and why should we as a UU fellowship support it?
As the broadcast arm of Northern Illinois University, the mission of NPR, or Northern Public Radio, is to enrich, inspire, and inform adults in northern Illinois through programs and services that share ideas, encourage thought, give pleasure, and create community. According to a Harris telephone survey conducted in 2005, NPR has become the most trusted news source in the United States. It has achieved this trustworthiness in part because, being a non-profit organization supported largely by membership donations, it can operate freely from the bias of commercial interests.
Does supporting public radio go hand in hand with being a member of UUFD? Yes, and in at least two ways. First, NPR’s mission to share ideas, encourage thought, and create community is essential to creating an informed citizenry and a healthily functioning democracy. These objectives coincide with fundamental Unitarian Universalists principles such as our commitment to the free and responsible search for truth and meaning, the right of conscience, and the use of the democratic process within our congregation, our broader community, and in society at large. So by contributing to NPR, you are acting on cherished UU principles. Second, UUFD member donations to our local national public radio stations fund outreach announcements for UUFD in the greater Dekalb listening area so we can create greater awareness within its listening audience about UUFD and its activities. The more our members donate to WNIU/WNIJ, the more outreach we will have among its listeners. You can support NPR and UUFD community outreach through NPR by writing a check to UUFD and putting “NPR” in the memo line. Your contribution is tax deductible. Thank you for your support!
