In Washington, following a heated session on Wednesday featuring the heads of PBS and NPR, a House Republican has called for dismantling and ceasing funding for the nation’s public broadcasting systems. Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene stated, “We believe that you all can hate us on your own dime,” highlighting a significant push to cut federal funding.
This stance is aligned with former President Donald Trump’s comment earlier that he would be in favor of cutting off federal aid. This move poses a significant threat to the public broadcasting system, which has been operational since 1967 and receives approximately half a billion dollars annually through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Republicans have long claimed that PBS and NPR have left-leaning biases in their news programming. However, past attempts to cut funding have usually faded due to legislators’ desires to protect local stations, particularly the 336 PBS stations, many of which rely heavily on taxpayer support, especially in rural regions.
The recent hearings reflect a broader initiative by Trump and his allies to challenge the American media landscape, which Trump’s administration has been vocally critical of. This week, Trump publicly criticized The Atlantic for publishing internal communications about potential military actions. Moreover, actions have been taken against the Voice of America and other government-funded media, alongside barring The Associated Press from White House engagements.
Republican figures are not backing down on the issue of media bias. During Wednesday’s session, several GOP lawmakers expressed strong dissatisfaction, pointing fingers particularly at NPR stations. Kentucky Representative James Comer shared a personal anecdote from his farming days, highlighting his shift away from NPR over the years, suggesting it no longer provides news but rather feels like propaganda.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene brought visual aids into the conversation, referencing a “drag queen” reportedly seen on a PBS children’s program, while showing skepticism over content concerning transgender individuals. PBS’s CEO, Paula Kerger, clarified that the image in question was mistakenly associated with a local station’s website and that the transgender conversations belonged to adult-oriented programs showcasing diverse American stories.
Democrats view the timing and focus of the hearing as a distraction, especially with recent reports involving high-level military communication leaks. Massachusetts Representative Stephen Lynch criticized the hearing’s agenda. Meanwhile, some Democrats opted for humor, as exemplified by California Representative Robert Garcia quipping about Elmo’s fictional political alignments.
Both broadcasting leaders admitted to past oversights. NPR President Katherine Maher conceded that dismissing coverage of Hunter Biden’s laptop was an error. She also expressed regret over anti-Trump tweets made prior to her tenure at NPR. Maher, although not directly controlling editorial content, shared efforts to maintain NPR’s representation of diverse political viewpoints. Although NPR listenership had dropped significantly from 60 million to 42 million between 2020 and 2024, Maher noted a gradual recovery this past year.
Maura emphasized that NPR is non-biased, yet former NPR editor Uri Berliner, who left last year, suggested through an article that NPR should forgo taxpayer funding and openly embrace its progressive stance.
The possibility of discontinuing federal support was raised during the hearing, with Maher expressing that such a move would severely impact the national public radio system. Kerger underscored PBS’s essential role in local communities, particularly through educational children’s programming, voicing concern over the survival of smaller stations.
After the hearing, the Committee to Protect Journalists emphasized the importance of NPR and PBS as vital public services. They argued that misrepresenting these organizations as propaganda could deprive Americans of essential reporting needed to make informed decisions.