President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to slash federal funding for public broadcasters NPR and PBS. Trump accused both outlets of failing to provide fair, accurate, or unbiased news coverage. He declared that taxpayer money should no longer support these media organizations.
Trump’s order specifically instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to stop funding NPR and PBS. The CPB has long served as a conduit for public media funds. However, the CPB’s budget has already been approved by Congress through 2027, raising legal questions about the order’s reach.
Trump’s relationship with most media outlets has been rocky for years. He frequently calls mainstream media the “enemy of the people.” In contrast, he maintains close ties with conservative broadcaster.
In the executive order, Trump stated: “Neither NPR nor PBS presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.” He emphasized his administration’s stance that public funds should not support outlets accused of political bias.
The phrase “public media funding battle” is now central to this unfolding issue. Trump’s allies frame the executive order as part of the larger public media funding battle. Critics, however, warn that the public media funding battlethreatens press freedom and undermines trusted news services.
NPR and PBS reach millions of Americans every month. NPR estimates that over 40 million people tune in weekly, while PBS reports about 36 million monthly viewers. Despite these large audiences, NPR director Katherine Maher noted in March that federal funding makes up less than 5% of NPR’s budget.
Media rights groups have raised alarms over the order. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned on Friday about what it calls an “alarming deterioration in press freedom” under Trump. The group described “unprecedented” challenges now facing independent journalists in the U.S. and abroad.
Trump’s executive order escalates tensions between the White House and public media. As legal experts review the order’s limits, advocates for press freedom brace for a longer political fight. The public media funding battle will likely continue shaping debates in Washington over the future of journalism and public trust.
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