Trump Cuts Federal Funding to National Public Radio

The US president has ordered the defunding of NPR and PBS, citing the stations as “corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence”

Accusing the National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service of partisan programming, Trump has ordered the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and other federal agencies “to cease federal funding” to both broadcasters. 

This comes after a recent bill was introduced at a congressional hearing and backed by many Republican representatives in the United States' Congress, pushing for the same actions to withdraw funding from NPR and PBS. 

Titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization Of Biased Media,” the executive order states that the media landscape “is filled with abundant, diverse, and innovative news options,” and that indirect sources of public financing for the news organisations must be removed. 

“Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence,” the order continues.

Having overseen US public media funding for the last 60 years, the CPB has already had its budget approved by Congress through September 2027 with more than $500 million in funding. Recently, the CPB also sued Trump over his move to fire three members of its five-person board, claiming the president was exceeding his authority.

The White House, in a social media posting announcing the order, said the outlets received “millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’” Trump added on Truth Social in all caps that “Republicans must defund and totally disassociate themselves from NPR & PBS, the radical left ‘monsters’ that so badly hurt our country!”

According to NPR, CPB’s funding comprises just one per cent of NPR’s annual operating budget; PBS receives around 15% of government funding, and its remaining funds come from individual contributions, community engagement, production, and corporate support. 

From data provided by the stations, over 40 million Americans tune in to NPR at least once a week, and over 36 million watch their local PBS station each month. 

“The president’s blatantly unlawful executive order, issued in the middle of the night, threatens our ability to serve the American public with educational programming, as we have for the past 50-plus years,” said PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger in The Guardian. “We are currently exploring all options to allow PBS to continue to serve our member stations and all Americans.”

“Eliminating funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would have a devastating impact on American communities across the nation that rely on public radio for trusted local and national news, culture, lifesaving emergency alerts, and public safety information,” NPR said. “We serve the public interest. It’s not just in our name — it’s our mission.”

“There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress,” Kerger added. “This public-private partnership allows us to help prepare millions of children for success in school and in life and also supports enriching and inspiring programs of the highest quality.”