On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at cutting federal funding for NPR and PBS, accusing the organizations of producing biased and “left-wing propaganda.”
The executive order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds public broadcasters in the U.S., to reduce funding for NPR and PBS to the extent permitted by law. While the majority of funding for these outlets comes from donations and sponsors, they do receive some federal support. The immediate effects of the order were unclear, as CPB is funded two years in advance to protect it from political interference.
Patricia Harrison, the president and CEO of CPB, noted that it is a private nonprofit entity independent from the federal government.
This latest move by the Trump administration follows previous criticism of public media outlets, particularly regarding their coverage of issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Hunter Biden. The executive order also forbids federal agencies from using federal funds to support PBS or NPR programs.
PBS and NPR have responded strongly, with Paula Kerger, president of PBS, calling the order “blatantly unlawful” and vowing to explore options to maintain services.
NPR criticized the move as an “affront to the First Amendment,” emphasizing that federal funding plays a crucial role in supporting local and national news, emergency alerts, and public safety information. Both organizations highlighted the significant impact that cutting CPB funding would have on public media, especially in communities that rely on it.
NPR and PBS had previously testified before Congress, defending their editorial independence amid accusations of liberal bias. Despite federal funding being a smaller portion of their budgets, the loss of these funds could have devastating consequences for public broadcasting.
