Bad jokes
Since Jon Stewart became a household name two decades ago, there's been a close relationship between comedy and current events. NPR's comedy show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! was born during the same era as The Daily Show.
Over the years, the Wait Wait staff have honed their sensibilities for making jokes for their large and devoted following. When the Public Editor's office reaches out to Wait Wait, it's inevitably because a joke offended someone. Recently, a joke about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offended so many that the live audience actually groaned.
We learned the Wait Wait writers weren't surprised that the joke fell flat. Keep going to read more about this one-liner, followed by a note from a linguist who listens to NPR and has more advice about pronouncing Kyiv.
Finally, many people wrote in to tell us that NPR was off base when it connected "Stand Your Ground" laws to the trial over George Zimmerman killing Trayvon Martin. We dug deep into why and how the laws, which now exist in most states, are still being discussed in association with Martin's killing 10 years later.
FROM THE INBOX
Here are a few quotes from the Public Editor's inbox that resonated with us. Letters are edited for length and clarity. You can share your questions and concerns with us through the NPR Contact page.
A bad joke
Kate Prendergast wrote on March 8:
