Trump Supporters Sever Self-Support in Deserted America
In a move that could significantly affect rural America, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is scheduled to shut down by September 2025, following the elimination of federal funding. This decision is expected to cause a substantial loss of news, weather, and educational programming for many rural communities, particularly those served by CPB-funded stations such as NPR and PBS.
The elimination of CPB funding will result in critical financial support being withdrawn from local public media services. Many rural stations rely heavily on these funds to broadcast trusted local and national news, timely weather updates, and educational content for children and adults. With the loss of CPB grants, which can account for up to 7.5% of a station's budget, budget shortfalls are compounded, forcing stations to cut or eliminate vital services.
The shutdown process includes staff layoffs and a transition team managing the closure through early 2026. This reduction in operational capacity is already being felt, even before the complete shutdown. The loss of public broadcasting services threatens to create information deserts in rural communities, where residents have reduced access to important programming.
Rural communities, which often have limited commercial media presence, are particularly vulnerable to these changes. Small towns, tribal regions, and rural America, which gave Trump his biggest margins, are about to lose their primary source of news, weather alerts, and educational programming. The shutdown could leave rural communities with disinformation farms and Facebook comment threads as their primary sources of information, further exacerbating the information gap.
Moreover, rural older Americans, a significant portion of Trump's base, are some of PBS and NPR's most loyal consumers. The loss of local journalism, trusted educational TV, and daily updates from reporters in rural communities could have profound effects on these audiences.
Public stations play a crucial role during emergencies, providing updates and tele-education when cell towers go down. The shutdown of the CPB could lead to a lack of these services in rural areas, leaving residents vulnerable during critical times.
Urban public media outlets like WNYC or KCRW may be able to weather the funding loss, but rural stations are likely to go dark. With no alternative sources of funding, these stations may be forced to close, leaving rural communities without access to reliable news, essential weather warnings, and educational programming.
In summary, the 2025 CPB defunding leads to diminished public broadcasting services in rural areas, resulting in the loss of critical news, weather information, and educational programming. This could have significant negative consequences for these communities’ information access and education.
- The loss of CPB funding could lead to the elimination of up to 7.5% of a station's budget for many rural media services, causing budget shortfalls and necessary service cuts or eliminations.
- Rural communities, which often lack a substantial commercial media presence, are particularly susceptible to the consequences of the CPB's shutdown, potentially facing an increased reliance on questionable information sources such as disinformation farms and social media discussion threads.
- In emergencies, public broadcasting stations provide crucial information, updates, and tele-education when cell towers go down, but the shutdown of the CPB could result in the absence of such services in rural areas, leaving residents exposed during crucial times.
- The elimination of local journalism, trusted educational TV, and daily updates from reporters in rural communities due to the CPB shutdown could have profound effects on older Americans in rural areas, a significant portion of Trump's base.
