On Thursday, May 1, the White House announced that President Donald Trump had signed an executive order directing the end of federal funding for public media outlets NPR and PBS. The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which oversees distribution of federal funds to public broadcasters, to “cease direct funding” to both organizations.
A White House statement accompanying the order accused NPR and PBS of promoting “partisan and left-wing propaganda,” asserting that taxpayer dollars should not support such content.
“The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding,” the executive order reads. The order also ends indirect support, including payments funneled through other public media entities.
The move is consistent with the Trump administration’s long-standing criticisms of media and academic institutions it views as ideologically biased. In recent years, it has accused organizations such as NPR, PBS, Harvard, and Columbia University of leaning too far left and has repeatedly floated funding cuts as a punitive measure.
Human rights and press freedom advocates have raised concerns that such actions undermine freedom of expression, academic independence, and access to unbiased news.
The administration also made efforts to shutter U.S. government-funded international broadcasters, including Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. However, a federal judge blocked those attempts in late April, ruling that the administration overstepped its authority.
Public media leaders have pushed back strongly. NPR and PBS have warned that stripping their funding would have a “devastating impact” on communities that rely on them for trusted news and information, especially during emergencies.
Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS, responded last month:
“There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we’ve always received from Congress. This public-private partnership allows us to prepare millions of children for success in school and in life, while also delivering high-quality, inspiring programming.”
In a related development, the CPB filed a lawsuit against the White House earlier this week after President Trump attempted to dismiss three of its five board members — a move the nonprofit, created by Congress in 1967, argues is unlawful. The CPB currently supports more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations across the country.