On Thursday, President Donald Trump reportedly announced an executive order to end federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), a move long anticipated by conservatives.
The directive instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease federal subsidies to both organizations, which Trump criticized for promoting what he termed “radical, woke propaganda.”
The White House previously released a report outlining grievances against NPR and PBS, suggesting that taxpayer dollars should not support media outlets that do not provide fair and unbiased news coverage.
Trump’s order emphasized that, unlike in 1967 when the CPB was established, the current media landscape offers diverse news options, making government funding unnecessary and potentially harmful to journalistic independence.
In his statement, Trump argued that no media outlet has a constitutional right to taxpayer support and stressed that Americans deserve unbiased news if their tax dollars are involved.
He pointed out that both NPR and PBS have failed to uphold principles of impartiality, which the CPB’s governing statute requires.
The executive order also followed critiques from former NPR personnel, who claimed the outlet lacks viewpoint diversity and has aligned itself with a progressive agenda.
This sentiment was echoed in comments from former NPR editor Uri Berliner, who noted the network’s bias in covering political issues, particularly regarding Trump.
By defunding NPR and PBS, Trump aims to reshape public broadcasting in a way that aligns with his administration’s views and priorities, marking a significant shift in the federal approach to media funding.
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