Sure, there’s some cheap jokes to be made here, but why bother: NPR.org is the latest big media site to get a fresh coat of social networking. Yesterday, the site launched The NPR Community, a place where fans of the non-profit radio network can create profiles, connect with friends, and yes, even write on each other’s walls. In some respects it looks similar to the NYT’s TimesPeople effort, as a big part of the draw may be the chance to see what NPR staffers are up to and interact with them. (You can check out staff profiles here). The new features, still in beta, comes as NPR continues to make moves on the digital front. It recently named Kinsey Wilson as its digital chief (replacing Maria Thomas who left for Etsy). Also, earlier this year, the company opened up an API, giving outside users and developers access to a chunk of its library.

For more see this blog post announcing the news and a related wire story.

• Kinsey Wilson Leaves USAT, Joins NPR As Digital Head
• Updated: NPR Launches Open API; Major Shows Not Included