Trump defunds PBS and NPR in shocking late-night order behind closed doors
Category: News & Politics
Via: john-russell • 16 hours ago • 85 commentsBy: Jake Johnson (Alternet. org)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order calling for an end to taxpayer funding for NPR and PBS, an escalation of his assault on the media that could shutter hundreds of local stations across the country.
The president's order, which he signed behind closed doors, echoes a section of Project 2025, a far-right agenda that called for stripping public funding from NPR, PBS, and other broadcasters on the grounds that they "do not even bother to run programming that would attract conservatives."
Trump's order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)—a private nonprofit corporation created and funded by Congress—to "cease direct funding to NPR and PBS, consistent with my administration's policy to ensure that federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage."
The executive order, which is expected to face legal challenges, also directs all federal agencies to "identify and terminate, to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, any direct or indirect funding of NPR and PBS."
Trump's move was expected, and it came in the wake of reports that the administration intends to ask Congress to rescind previously approved funding for CPB, which is already engaged in a court fight with the president over his attempt to fire several of the organization's board members. The Associated Press reported Thursday that the rescission request "has not yet been sent to Capitol Hill."
According to the organizations' estimates, federal funding accounts for roughly 1% of NPR's annual budget and 15% of PBS's yearly revenue.
In a letter to congressional leaders earlier this week, a coalition of civil society groups led by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned that, if enacted, Trump's proposed funding cuts for public broadcasting "will result in the shutdown of dozens, if not hundreds, of local, independent radio and television stations serving Americans in every corner of the country."
"As it stands, public media journalists are often the only reporters attending a school board meeting, or a local zoning hearing, or at the scene of a crime," the groups wrote. "They are the journalists most likely to hold local public officials accountable and expose
corruption. Faraway digital media outlets will not replicate this coverage, and the American public will lose out."
Trump's attack on public broadcasters is part of his administration's broader effort to undermine journalism in the United States and around the world.
RSF said in a report published Friday that Trump's "early moves in his second mandate to politicize the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), ban The Associated Press from the White House, or dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, for example, have jeopardized the country's news outlets and indicate that he intends to follow through on his threats, setting up a potential crisis for American journalism."
"After a century of gradual expansion of press rights in the United States," the group said, "the country is experiencing its first significant and prolonged decline in press freedom in modern history, and Donald Trump's return to the presidency is greatly exacerbating the situation."
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I guess Frontline told the truth about the corrupt criminal one too many times.
After kicking AP News out of the Whitehouse, Trump has made it clear what he thinks of a free press.
It doesn't pay to be adult and truthful in the USA these days.
If Oklahoma can order Trumps election lies to be taught to that state's teenagers, PBS cant expect to be allowed to continue to exist.
"cease direct funding to NPR and PBS, consistent with my administration's policy to ensure that federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage.
PBS and NPR are well known for being biased and partisan and favoring leftist views and values. PBS already has had corporate sponsorship for years and endless fund drives, so they don't need taxpayer support in any amount.
Denver has had two PBS stations going back decades, that show essentially the same programming, That needs to stop
Please provide evidence for this. FYI, "Because I say so" does not count as evidence.
Read for yourself. By the way, Google is your friend.
PBS NewsHour Media Bias | AllSides
PBS Bias and Reliability | Ad Fontes Media
NPR Editorial Media Bias | AllSides
NPR Website Bias and Reliability | Ad Fontes Media
Apparently AllSides is not yours.
Media shows it as just a small ticket left of center on bias. Far better than most republican websites.
Editorial shows as more leaning to the left, but those are personal opinion articles not reflecting on the organization as a whole.
Ad Fontes Media is unreachable.
straight from the horse's mouth:
All Sides categorizes CBS, ABC, NBC, USA Today, Time, Bloomberg and Yahoo, as "liberal". Not one of them is a progressive media outlet. In the current climate, unless you are a Trump supporter the right calls you liberal. All the entities I listed are corporate.
Thanks for asking, here ya go...
Perfect Timing! Here's a Propaganda Parade From NPR and PBS Just As Trump's EO Ends Gov't Funding – Twitchy
In the current climate, liberal, progressive, socialist, marxist is all the same.
Oh, come on, Bugsy. If you truly believe that, then that is the problem with the current climate. If a liberal said that all Republicans and conservatives were fascists, you would think that is ridiculous.
Please provide a list of the Republican Websites the taxpayers are paying for?
Liberals or Conservatives can say whatever they want but, if the taxpayers are paying for it, IT MUST BE equal or not at all!
They do on here all the time.
That's not an answer. I don't agree with that. I think that is the problem with today's politics. Those words have specific meanings and as an independent, they mean something to me.
Well, that goes without saying.
There is no reason in existence why Trump should be treated "equally" favorably by any news source.
The truth is that all of mainstream media has gone much too easy on him.
What is "equal" ? The country is already drowning in both sides ism.
Au Contraire....................
Perrie, we conservatives are subject to these name callings almost daily. Fascist is just one of the latest words many on the left use but have no idea the meaning. They just think it is cool to use it.
They do mean something, I agree, but many of the members here have no idea what the word "fascist" means. They just know it is an insult.
non-progressive: Trump is not Hitler.
progressive: What!! Only reactionary, maga fascists don't think Trump is worse than Hitler.
Good Job JR, you have just shown why NPR should be defunded!
So you believe his opinion? Does not make anything fact. It's also impolite to call Uri Berliner a "horse".
Straight from another NPR writer.
You have to keep in mind as well, that the current members of the right wing would call Reagan a left liberal extremist.
So once again you have nothing to add to the discussion but cannot help diving in head first.....
Republicans don't see "equal". In their view you are either for them, or against them. No middle ground.
Bullshit!!!
It must be TRUTHFUL!!!!
I'm a progressive and I don't believe Trump is worse than Hitler. In fact, I don't recall any progressives or liberals here or elsewhere claiming Trump is worse than Hitler. If you're not able to provide proof of this then I can only assume this is just another on top of the massive pile of lies that rightwing conservatives tell others and themselves.
Does Trump exhibit some of the same traits that Hitler employed early in his political career? Many historians have noted the similarities.
I think that even more than Trump mirroring Hitlers early political career, it's the cult-like subservience of his supporters and their seeming willingness to do anything, overlook any flaws, forgive any crime and excuse any bad or criminal behavior of their Dear Leader that makes Trump so incredibly dangerous to our nation and western democracy as a whole.
You asked for evidence, I provided it. You then state it's not enough. There's a term for that.
That site must be having problems. It was reachable this morning when I posted the link but it's no longer reachable. I checked via Google as well and it doesn't come up.
Media Research Center?
I don't know anything about this source, but it cites Harvard. Is Harvard now a far right wing rag?
Harvard Study Confirms Trump Coverage | The Knoxville Focus
Actually, equality is not defined as equal parts, plural, positive propaganda and negative propaganda. In a proper 'mix,' the positive must always outweigh the negative. Truth over lie. Candor over deception. Love over and enduring beyond hate. That is what taxpayers ought to be seeking in every way.
Is it a hotbed of antisemitism like Trump says?
Is gas $1.88 like Trump says?
Are eggs $1.75 yet?
The problem is that Trump lies about ridiculous and obviously wrong things so often that his die hard supporters don't care and would rather shoot the messengers than admit any negative about him and his cabinet.
The article also said that Trump is getting 41% more coverage than any previous POTUS.
That is because he is always saying outrageous biased opinions out loud daily
where his predecessors only got caught once or twice apiece on a hot mike over 8 year periods.
Trump, the narcissist, demands to be the center of attention, in his own words, he "runs the country and the world".
Trump is their hope. He is getting their agenda done for them. They do not care about anything else. The lies, the cruelty, the outrages, plus is all par for the course (they are on together).
Yes
"Is gas $1.88 like Trump says?"
Maybe somewhere but not where I live
"Are eggs $1.75 yet?"
Don't believe anyone claimed that
But nice deflection fail away from the bias of the main stream media. All presidents indulge in what is happening during their term, but this particular president triggers those on the left like nothing seen before.
Top Tier Diesel is $3.29 in my town today. Down 76% from the high under Biden. $5.79 Works for me.
I could go on but won’t waste my time.
Of course it was. Tell him not to destroy our country, not break our laws, not to selectively enforce/disregard the constitution, et al, ad nauseum and he might get some positive coverage. If he does something positive, I am sure that he will get positive coverage. That's how it works, unless you believe in the phantasmagorical world of Trump where meanings have no meaning.
I found AdFontes Media group.
I have used my 5 free lookups for the day, else I would picture some other news outlets.
Trump; is just pissed because they tell the truth and that is where a large portion of the populace get their news. If he wants to get favorable coverage, then he needs to start doing things that do not intrinsically wreck the country.
You mean like all those red states soaking up tax payer dollars?
Yep, and that's the way trump likes it....ignorant.
Even trump taking 4 million a week for golf?
If you are meaning they don't kiss trump's ass, you're right.
from the article:
“…on the grounds that they "do not even bother to run programming that would attract conservatives."
Just another in a long line of petty EO’s issued in vindictiveness, portraying ‘conservatives’ as somehow being victimized by public programming that has been a valuable source in promoting the arts and humanities for decades. Those that defend this assault are the ones that have been programmed.
Trump cannot legally defund public broadcasting on his own, but if he has a Supreme Court working for him, who knows what might happen.
Source?
Congress; the CPB.
The CEO of NPR” the truth gets in the way of getting things done”
So the CEO is a republican.
Also:
The statement that "truth gets in the way" of NPR's agenda, attributed to NPR CEO Katherine Maher, is a controversial one that has sparked significant debate. While the statement is not explicitly verified as a direct quote from Maher, it has been interpreted by some, like Greg Abbott, as implying that NPR prioritizes a specific political agenda over objective reporting, as seen in a tweet from Abbott stating "This is the NPR CEO telling us what we have long known: “Truth gets in the way” of their agenda. Time to defund NPR.".
Maher's statement, while not explicitly stated as "truth gets in the way," has been interpreted this way by those who believe NPR is biased. She has, however, stated that NPR's role is to deliver "truthful facts and information so citizens can make up their own minds," suggesting that the organization prioritizes truth and accuracy in its reporting
The statement "truth gets in the way" is not directly verified as a quote from Maher. It is more likely a misinterpretation of her statements or a generalization of how her work is viewed by those who disagree with NPR's perspective.
What is the truth? There is an objective method for the determination of truthfulness, as long as one holds to the equivalence of truth and factuality. Looking at the distribution of NPR on the Media bias chart at ad fontes media it would appear that NPR is more factual than the places Trump gets his news from.
THat's probably the type of propaganda you'd pick up from NPR. The truth, as came out in Congress, is there are no Republicans, zero, on their editiorial staff. 87 Democrats. Zero Republicans.
This is sort of the intellectual honesty test. It's impossible for an intelligent person to consume NPR and not admit it skews left editorially. It can't be done.
The statement that "truth gets in the way" of NPR's agenda, attributed to NPR CEO Katherine Maher, is a controversial one that has sparked significant debate.
Lol. Reads like AI cut and paste. Her talk is easily accessible.
NPR does skew slightly left. So what? Their reporting is overwhelmingly factual and complete.
That is why Trump doesn't like them.
Besides the whole bullshit about NPR and PBS being biased to the point of propaganda, there is the fact that they are in a great many places among the only sources of information of local and state events. All of the many stations bear the imprimature of the local communities they service.
Back out just a little and we can see that Trump cares not a wit for these communities. He is a destroyer and he doesn't care what he destroys as long as he gets what he wants.
The whole point is that it's not. It's how you end up with half of society thinking things like the steele dossier wasn't used as a basis to spy on American citizens because NPR kept running Adam Schiff out to lie to their listeners and never bothered to fact check him. Story after story, issue after issue, it's the same MO. Push the democrat's narrative and attack Republican talking points. There's zero attempt at accuracy.
Whether its NPR pushing the laptop Russian disinformation lie, the lab leak is a conspiracy theory, Biden is fine and the special counsel's report showing other is just Republicans weaponizing the issue, etc its always the same. Whatever angle democrats need, NPR provides. Then years later they apologize.
Don't you notice how often left-wingers who rely on media like NPR are 100% wrong on facts so often? Or that Democrats having to resort to telling people to "move on" after their lies are finally exposed to the point even they can't defend them is a running joke? The problem is their a market among Democrats for being lied to that NPR fills.
The FBI was totally justified in investigating Trump during the 2016 election. If you dont want to be investigated then dont act so damn happy the Russians hacked the Democratic national Committee, and dont ask Russia to dig up dirt on the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and dont lie about your business dealings with Russia.
The way the right has twisted 2016 reminds me a lot of the way conservatives whitewashed the Confederacy.
They don't need government support.
From the reports I have seen, taxpayer money only makes up 1 percent of their budget. It should be zero percent.
Maybe one of the groups will form a gofundme account to make up the one percent lost.
True except that it was baked into law by Congress in 1967 as a national education project
and that 1% has been the compromise for the last few decades of assaults from GOP Administrations.
Millions of children learned English and were more prepared for preschool, kindergarten and first grade as a result.
Nixon and the Bushes tried to kill Big Bird too.
People being what they are, are always going to see what they want to see.
Cool ,neither do red states. Fuck'em.
There are hundreds of history films and shows that should not be debatable as to their fairness or neutrality politically.
Exactly.
Assault on public broadcasting. Assault on public education and public and private universities. Assault on public health. Assault on science. Assault on the federal government. Assault on the free press. We could go on to list more. And Trump promises that this is just the beginning.
An existential threat like nothing we’ve ever experienced. The potential damage, both internally and globally and in every aspect, may take decades to undo.
Unfortunately, much of the damage Trump has already caused may be irreversible, irrevocable, or, as you indicated, may at the very least take decades to undo.
For instance?
International prestige among our allies of 70 plus years, NATO and our northern and southern neighbors.
Treaties are meaningless now.
Exactly. Once trustworthiness and reliability have been eroded it is impossible to get them back.
The party whose leaders engaged in a massive conspiracy to try and cover up the imbecility of Joe Biden, that destroyed our intelligence agencies credibility by having it's leaders lie about Hunter Biden's laptop being Russian disinformation, lie to the courts and whose media lied about pretty much everything from "Hands up, don't shoot," to Covid's origins finally figured that out. Better late than never I guess.
Just more reactionary propaganda.
Misusing buzz words is safer than trying to rebut anything I wrote, I understand.
Rebut a string of lies? Why would I bother? You know, I know and everyone else knows that calling it reactionary propaganda is exactly what it is.
To you, its ok for Trump to be the biggest jagoff in history , because, you dont like the left.
News flash, the left preceded Trump and will be here after he is worm food.
The stench of the right doing this to our country will be here too.
Trump being a jagoff doesn't justify government agencies and the supposedly objective media lighting it's credibility on fire to oppose him. Those lies will be remembered too.
Why do left wingers demand taxpayers subsidize their propaganda? Instead of spending billions on elections, soros can just fund the propaganda honestly
Because they love their propaganda. Remember this is the group of bloggers who told you the Declaration of Independence is offensive and country music is racist.
Meh ... some of us got the 'o' and 'r' parts backwards.
“Why do left wingers demand taxpayers subsidize their propaganda?”
Why do trump apologists accept he subsidize their fears?
Perhaps this:
“Man's mind is so formed that it is far more susceptible to falsehood than to truth.” ~Desiderius Erasmus
Why do you constantly mischaracterize issues? This is form ad fuentes media and about the NPR News Website.
Correction: ad fontes media is the site that the screenshot was taken of.
Koch bros can fix it all.
PBS and NPR are redder than a Mayday Parade funded in part by those Marxists, the Koch's.
Another left wing pot stirrer. The reality is, public money accounts for only about 1% of NPR’s revenue and 15% of PBS’s revenue. Concerned viewers and endowments can easily make that up.
And anyone who can’t see that they both lean left on their programming, especially NPR, is not viewing the situation with unbiased eyes.[✘]
Misdirection by Trump to keep folks off the real damage being done to our economy, the U.S. dollar, tariffs adding to rising consumer prices, and his all out assault on democracy.
Even going after judges this term, when in his last term Republicans had fits about protests going on at judges homes, called for additional security for judges, all this when they perceived it was the "left" protesting judges and judicial outcomes.
Now Republicans and Trump have flipped being the ones stoking fear and threatening judges and all because of lawful outcomes they don't like.
Republicans need to find a spine and stand up for the rule of law they supposedly cherish, the Constitution which fuels all lawful decisions and get on the right side of history rather than allow Trump to tear down what America is founded on.
Not likely.
No one cares what you think.