A former NPR editor urged his previous employer to refuse federal support, suggesting that the public broadcasting organization would only have itself to blame if Congress chooses to withhold government funds.
« NPR should regain its respect by doing something no one ever does in American life: Turn down government support. Get ahead of the game and say, We’ll survive without it. In other words: Become truly independent, » former NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner wrote Tuesday in « The Free Press. »
« If Congress does ultimately kneecap the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and its $545 million annual budget that supports public television and radio, NPR will largely have itself to blame. The broadcaster’s claims about considering all things and its mission of creating ‘a more informed public’ were demolished when it unquestioningly repeated the talking points of the Biden administration and the public health establishment during COVID, » he continued.
TRUMP SAYS HE’D LOVE TO YANK FUNDING FOR NPR, PBS, WOULD BE ‘HONORED’ TO SEE IT END
The chief of NPR testified Wednesday in front of the House of Representatives’ newly-formed Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee.
DOGE Subcommittee Chair Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., sent letters to NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS Paula Kerger last month inviting them to testify about what Greene called their « blatantly ideological and partisan coverage » and have them defend the federal funding they receive.
President Donald Trump expressed his desire to pull funding from NPR and PBS when asked about the hearing by a reporter.
« I would love to do that, » Trump said Tuesday, adding, « I think it’s very unfair. It’s been very biased – the whole group, the whole group of them. »
Berliner, in his Tuesday piece, said the « ax could finally fall » on NPR, which is pitted against an « openly hostile Trump administration » and a country that is no longer buying the « identity politics » the network has to offer.
Berliner resigned from NPR in April 2024 after he was suspended for not getting approval for outside work for other outlets, concerning a Free Press essay lambasting NPR’s coverage of Russiagate, the COVID lab leak theory, Hunter Biden’s laptop, and other polarizing topics.
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Berliner was initially suspended in April for five days without pay before deciding to resign.
His claims about NPR rocked the media industry, as he wrote that his then-employer drifted from only being « a bit to the left » in 2011 to its current form, where he said an « open-minded spirit no longer exists. » He wrote that NPR’s « absence of viewpoint diversity » plagued the company and the claims sparked calls from the right to defund NPR.
NPR editor-in-chief Edith Chapin previously said she and her team « strongly disagree » with Berliner’s assessment of the quality of NPR’s journalism and integrity.
Still, last May, NPR created a « Backstop » vetting process that included a team of 24/7 senior editors « to ensure that all coverage receives final editorial review. » The process was created with the help of a $1.9 million grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
PBS CLOSES DEI OFFICE, ANNOUNCES DIVERSITY OFFICERS ARE LEAVING IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Berliner on Tuesday said he does not believe these new measures are working and urged NPR to « openly plant its progressive flag without fear. »
« NPR should drop the public from its mission statement and embrace the progressive. Don’t try to conceal what everyone knows already, » he wrote.
« Once it’s acknowledged and out in the open, there’s a place for advocacy journalism. And yes, there are tons of hard-hitting stories to cover about MAGA World and President Trump’s heedless use of power. NPR can still be a significant part of the American conversation, just without the federal support. It’s time, NPR. Cut the cord, » Berliner continued.
NPR did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn and Brian Flood contributed to this report.
Source link : https://www.foxnews.com/media/former-npr-editor-broadcaster-should-refuse-federal-funds-doge-hearing
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Publish date : 2025-03-26 18:00:00
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