On Thursday, May 1st, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and all federal agencies to eliminate taxpayer funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The order cited concerns over political bias and outdated federal support for the media.
The order explains that when the CPB was created in 1967, it filled a gap in a limited media landscape. However, with today’s abundance of news sources, the administration argues that continued funding is no longer necessary and may undermine the appearance of journalistic independence. “No media outlet has a constitutional right to taxpayer subsidies,” the order emphasizes, adding that the government can decide what activity categories to support. Federal law requires the CPB to remain politically neutral and prohibits it from contributing to or supporting any political party.
The executive order states, “What does matter is that neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.” As a result, the administration instructed the CPB to cancel existing funding to NPR and PBS to the maximum extent allowed by law and to decline future financing altogether.
This action follows growing scrutiny of NPR’s and PBS’s alleged liberal bias in their reporting and coverage, which some critics argue is highly partisan. Former NPR editor Uri Berliner, who resigned after accusing the network of a lack of viewpoint diversity, noted that the outlet’s staff was predominantly composed of Democrats, with little representation from Republicans. His comments, along with similar criticisms from others, have fueled calls for the defunding of these publicly funded outlets.
The CPB is further directed to revise its 2025 Television and Radio Community Service Grants criteria by June 30th, 2025, to prevent direct and indirect funding from reaching NPR or PBS. This includes ensuring that public radio and television stations receiving CPB funds do not use those funds to support NPR or PBS. Furthermore, all federal agencies are instructed to identify and terminate any existing grants, contracts, or funding agreements with NPR or PBS, ensuring compliance with the terms of those agreements.
The order concludes by stating that its provisions must be implemented by existing law and budget authority and does not create any enforceable legal rights. The administration framed the move as a step toward protecting taxpayers and ensuring neutrality in federally supported media.
