Trump pulls federal funding for public broadcasters, cites biased reporting

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing federal agencies to strip National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service of government subsidies. The order directed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop directly and indirectly funding NPR and PBS and prohibited local public radio and television stations from using taxpayer dollars to support the organizations. The CPB disperses $535 million in taxpayer funds each year to public stations across the country. Trump’s White House on Thursday claimed the media organizations spread what the administration characterized as woke propaganda disguised as news. Trump himself has repeatedly criticized the broadcasters for their coverage. The order also directed the secretary of Health and Human Services to determine whether NPR and PBS engaged in unlawful discrimination.

Why does Trump say public broadcasters should be defunded? Government funding for news media is outdated and unnecessary due to the wide variety of options available to American citizens, according to the order. The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 established the CPB to ensure universal access to educational and informative content that is free from political biases. Trump’s order claimed that NPR and PBS made in-kind contributions to the Democratic Party and its political causes, and a statement from the White House outlined stories from both entities that the administration characterized as favoring left-leaning ideology.

What have the broadcasters said? PBS CEO Paula Kerger earlier this week said the funding cuts would have serious implications for stations around the country. While only about 15% of funding for public broadcasters comes from the federal government, Kerger said, some smaller stations heavily rely on that money to operate. The White House last month reportedly planned to ask Congress to rescind $1.1 billion in funding for the CPB as part of larger budget cuts. In response, NPR said that eliminating funding for the CPB would harm American communities that rely on public radio and television for local news. Meanwhile, a Pew Research Center poll found that 43% of American adults believe NPR and PBS should continue to receive funding from the federal government.

Have similar orders been challenged? A federal court in March issued a temporary restraining order to block the administration’s attempt to shut down the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Multiple news organizations sued the agency for withholding money after Trump in March signed an executive order to strip the agency of funding. Congress last year approved $950 million for the agency to fund two federal networks, including Voice of America and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, as well as five international broadcasters and nonprofits, including Radio Free Europe.

Meanwhile, the CPB this week sued the Trump administration after officials fired three of its board members two of whom were appointed by former-President Joe Biden. The third was appointed by President Trump during his first term, then reappointed by former President Biden. The agency argued that Trump does not have the authority to fire board members because it is not a government entity.

Dig deeper: Read my report in WORLD Magazine about how local news outlets are shutting down at an alarming rate.