There are all kinds of apologism and propaganda for the status quo. There are different market segments that need appealing to. NPR is for the middle brow comfortable lib whose live in material comfort or who are on the track to do so (younger professionals). The same frothing chud talking points don't reach them as well, so the neoliberal brainworms need to be flavoured differently. It's a different flavour of justification and rationalization of the same horrid capitalism and imperialism.