The Future of Public Media: The Defunding of NPR and PBS

Public media is viewed as a valuable and trusted institution in American society, offering programs that provide educational opportunities and foster cultural and civil discourse, all of which are inherently American and democratic values. By creating a nationally well-informed citizenry, society becomes enriched with people who are willing to participate in civil life and contribute to the country’s prosperity. However, this idea becomes increasingly difficult as more and more sources of information become biased, which could negatively inform decision-making and increase polarization on issues that create deeper rifts in society. Therefore, the need for unbiased information is crucial to maintaining a well-informed society. Ironically, this is the reasoning that prompted both the creation of the Public Broadcasting Act, which in turn created PBS and NPR, and the implementation of Trump’s executive order defunding NPR and PBS.

The Beginning of Public Media

Electronic broadcasting was one of the first media that connected a wide and dispersed audience with a single source, traditionally by radio and television. Due to this system, entertainment and education were now universally available through different local stations and programming all over the country that were tailored to both children and adults.

Stemming from the end of WWII, lawmakers and educators advocated for the growth of American public education through groups like the Joint Committee on Educational Television, which prompted funding from private entities starting in 1952. Most notably, the Ford Foundation funded the Educational Television and Radio Center in Michigan, which commenced the distribution of educational programming to other public stations. This was especially prominent after the first noncommercial public station, KUHT in Texas, was established in 1953, and eventually, the center changed its name to National Educational Television. Eventually, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, notably remarking, “We in America have an appetite for excellence, too.” This was a turning point in public media, because now, the government would fund these educational stations rather than solely being funded by private entities, which would enhance these stations and, most importantly, enforce its apolitical viewpoint.

Soon after this was passed, more independent stations began to emerge, such as the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the National Public Radio (NPR), which were now backed by government funding and reaped national success, with a clear academic proficiency increase in national audiences of different ages and skill levels.

Administrative Concerns with Public Media

Finding information that isn’t biased, specifically in modern times, is a difficult endeavor now that there are an infinite number of sources to get information from. However, in 1967, the Public Broadcasting Act advocated for the need for unbiased information to formerly educate Americans with an apolitical view, free from any type of influence.  

Issues with the CPB began under Richard Nixon’s administration in 1969, when concerns emerged over noncommercial programming leaning towards the left and the promotion of anti-administration content. Nixon’s discontent with the system became apparent in September 1972 with the veto of H.R. 13918, a bill that was meant to increase federal funding of public broadcasting, yet Nixon vetoed the amount of funding to the CPB due to concerns with political bias and structural issues, since public broadcasting was fairly new.

This concern would only grow as more administrations sought to call for spending cuts on public broadcasting. In the 1980s, President Reagan proposed a $37 million funding cut for the CPB in fiscal years 1983 and 1984, which was eventually overridden by Congress; however, although it was not as dramatic, there was a clear decrease in federal funding to the CPB. The lowering of CPB funding was also echoed during George W. Bush’s presidency, and in more recent years, by President Donald Trump in both his first and second term.

President Donald Trump’s Executive Order

Under his new administration, President Trump signed 188 Executive Orders, prompting the government to take swift action on these newly implemented policies. President Trump signed Executive Order 14290, titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media,” where funding to NPR and PBS ceased to the maximum extent under the law, alongside mandating the CPB to revise its 2025 General Provisions to prohibit any type of funding to both organizations. This was supplemented by a congressionally approved $9 billion recession package that rescinds $1.1 billion in funding to the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, with around a $7 billion cut in funding for foreign aid.

This executive order outlines the concerns of previous administrations, such as a growing left-leaning bias and unnecessary use of taxpayer dollars. The executive order lists examples ranging from both organizations making contributions to the Democrat party and its political causes to social issues and policies, like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), that spur conflicting opinions amongst audiences. The document then concludes with the argument that media outlets do not have a constitutional right to taxpayer-subsidized operations; therefore, taxpayers do not have to fund these organizations.

An Uncertain Future: The Impacts of CPB Spending Cuts

It’s clear that public broadcasting has had a profound impact on American society by allowing diverse types of education to be accessible to all, along with promoting civil engagement and upholding democratic values. Popular educational shows on PBS range from Sesame Street to Frontline, where a variety of information is readily available. The main concern many have about these spending cuts is the impact they will have on local communities, since these public stations serve communities that are not only underserved by commercial broadcasters but also have limited access to the internet due to affordability, which is prevalent in low-income and rural areas.

Moreover, these vast spending cuts create an unpredictable future for public broadcasting, as many local stations greatly depend on government funding to financially support them. Currently, public broadcasting stations will remain primarily funded by the CPB through the end of the fiscal year, which will end in September. After that, these stations must find other sources of funding, which are usually donations from viewers/listeners. There are mixed responses to this funding cut throughout the nation, where some stations began laying off staff to operations that are seeing a surge in donations to their public stations, but no matter the remedy, the devastating effects of these cuts on public stations are still felt on a national level.

Although NPR and PBS are not going to be receiving funding from the CPB, they will not cease to exist. The impacts are mainly felt on a local level, where many stations will have to find the right source of funding to continue their work. However, due to its national popularity and foundational influence, NPR and PBS will most likely have altered programming and fewer resources to work with. Therefore, fundraising is a solution that is being implemented nationwide for these local stations to continue providing knowledge, which is seen as a pillar of American society, to keep their own communities well-informed and remain hopeful despite these institutional challenges.

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