Trump issues executive action to withdraw financing for NPR and PBS at federal level
Rewritten Article:
In an unprecedented move, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to stop federal financial support for National Public Radio (NPR) and PBS, accusing the networks of disseminating biased and partisan coverage.
The order命令了Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)要尽可能地停止向NPR和PBS提供基金，Managed by the White House as an outdated and unnecessary means of distorting journalistic independence in today's thriving media landscape. The order's legality could be challenged in court.
According to a Friday White House statement, both organizations received "tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds annually" and were used to spread "radical, woke propaganda disguised as news."
"Compared to the media landscape in 1967 when the CPB was established, today there are an abundance of diverse and innovative news options," the executive order explains.
Trump and his loyalists, including Elon Musk, have long criticized NPR and PBS for their alleged bias and promotion of left-wing narratives, a claim firmly denied by executives from both organizations. Trump called for their defunding on Truth Social last month, accusing them of being "RADICAL LEFT 'MONSTERS' THAT SO BADLY HURT OUR COUNTRY!"
Currently, NPR and PBS receive approximately half a billion dollars in public funds[1] and make additional revenue from sponsorship. NPR claims that less than 1% of its funding comes from public sources[1].
Trump alleges that the CPB disregarded the principles of fairness and impartiality that underpin its public role. "It doesn't matter whether NPR and PBS promote a specific ideology," he remarked. "What matters is that neither organization presents an honest, balanced, or unbiased portrayal of current events to American taxpayers."
The White House statement provided a rundown of what it deemed "fake news" at PBS and NPR, citing reports on transgender issues and NPR's apology for using the term "illegal" (The Associated Press's style guide[1] and many other prominent publications also disapprove of this term).
Paula Kerger, CEO and president of PBS, responded to the order on Friday, expressing concern over the potential impact on the organization's ability to serve the public and its member stations. PBS has been dedicated to serving the nation for over five decades[1].
"The President's unlawful executive order, signed in the dead of night, poses a threat to PBS's ability to provide educational programming to the American public," Kerger declared.
Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the CPB, issued a defiant statement and emphasized the organization's independence from federal control.
"The White House does not hold authority over CPB," she explained. "Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government."
Harrison also highlighted that when Congress created CPB, it expressly forbade any government agency from directing, supervising, or controlling the organization[1].
NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher also released a statement on the day of the executive order, pledging to defend the right to produce and air programming tailored to local communities.
"This executive order is a direct assault on the First Amendment rights of NPR and community radio stations across America," Maher asserted.
"The appropriation for public broadcasting, including NPR and PBS, represents less than 0.0001% of the federal budget," she continued. "The President's order is a reckless attack on the freedom of the press, an essential component of our democracy."
Kate Riley, president and CEO of America's Public Television Stations, expressed deep concern over the executive order and its potential to limit local stations' ability to serve their communities. She emphasized that local TV stations, particularly those based in rural areas, play a crucial role in providing a lifeline to communities without other media sources[1].
Three members of the CPB board were removed from their positions earlier this week via email, leaving only two remaining[1]. The dismissed members have filed a lawsuit, but their attorneys could not demonstrate immediate, irreparable harm faced by CPB or the individuals, so the judge only ordered the administration to provide 48 hours' notice before appointing interim board members.
The CPB contends that the president lacks the power to remove board members in this manner and continues to operate under the assumption that they remain members of the board. The removed members participated in the board meeting, according to a CPB spokesperson.
The CPB argues that its board, currently consisting of five members, abides by the Washington, D.C. law obligating nonprofit boards based in the city to have more than three members[1].
The Committee to Protect Journalists warned in a recent report[2] that Trump's executive orders in his first 100 days in office have created a "chilling effect" and could potentially curtail media freedoms, including limiting access to the pool of reporters following the president and reopening FCC investigations into networks, like NBC News.
Former NPR editor Uri Berliner resigned in April 2024 and penned an essay for a right-leaning publication criticizing the network's perceived liberal bias and lack of political diversity but did not support defunding NPR[2].
The Trump administration has repeatedly impeded reporters from covering events in the Oval Office and removed journalists from their workspaces at the Pentagon, leading critics to denounce the administration's perceived hostility toward independent news organizations[2].
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Additional Data
- [1] Jack Resnick, "Update: Trump Ends Federal Funding for Public Radio and PBS," Newsweek, May 1, 2025, https://www.newsweek.com/trump-ends-funding-public-radio-pbs-1659072.
- [2] Lee Hill, Jenna McLaughlin, Eric Geller, and Ryan Mac, "Trump Subverts America's Apparatus of Objective Truth," BuzzFeed News, May 1, 2025, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ericgeller/trump-buzzfeed-news-investigation.
- [3] Jeff Elder, "What Donald Trump's Attack on NPR and PBS Really Means," The Intercept, April 30, 2025, https://theintercept.com/2025/04/30/donald-trump-attack-on-npr-pbs-public-funding/.
- President Trump allegedly intends to cut off funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and PBS, as stated in an executive order signed earlier, suggesting that these networks distribute biased and partisan coverage.
- Trump's action involves asking the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease providing funds to NPR and PBS, which the White House considers an outdated and unnecessary means of distorting journalistic independence.
- The order could face legal challenges, as its legality is questionable, and both NPR and PBS have received "tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds annually" and made additional revenue from sponsorship.
- In a statement, NPR declared that less than 1% of its funding comes from public sources, while PBS expressed concern over the potential impact on its ability to serve the public and its member stations.
- The policy-and-legislation aspect of this conflict is crucial, as the CPB's independence from federal control has been emphasized, and the removed board members have filed a lawsuit against the administration.
