Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee plans to propose legislation that threatens to cut National Public Radio’s (NPR) federal funding due to concerns about left-wing bias. This action comes after NPR suspended editor Uri Berliner for publicly criticizing the outlet’s ideological homogeneity. Blackburn previously tried to cut NPR’s funding in 2011 while serving in the House of Representatives, advocating for the removal of $50 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which provides funding to NPR.
CPB is fully funded by the federal government and distributes grants to both NPR and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The grants given to NPR support its international bureaus and distribution infrastructure that provide content to public radio stations nationwide. Berliner’s suspension was recently made public, but it began last Friday with a warning from NPR about violating company policies. Berliner had expressed concerns about the lack of viewpoint diversity within NPR and how it influenced the outlet’s coverage of various prominent stories.
There is growing momentum among Republican members of Congress to defund NPR, with Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas introducing legislation in multiple Congresses aimed at cutting NPR’s federal funding. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee has also expressed the need for Congressional oversight of NPR, citing recent whistleblower allegations and calls for a politically diverse staff to ensure a neutral and balanced perspective from the outlet. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is also exploring options to end public funding for NPR, emphasizing the importance of accountability and balance in publicly-funded media organizations.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Blackburn criticized NPR for being a left-wing propagandist outlet that does not represent the voices of half the country. She believes that American taxpayers should not be forced to fund an organization that refuses to provide a fair and unbiased perspective to its listeners. Blackburn’s history of advocating for cuts to NPR’s funding dates back to her time in the House, where she pushed for a reduction in funding to CPB to address concerns about partisan bias within NPR.
Berliner, the veteran NPR editor who was suspended, expressed his love for the outlet while also highlighting the need for greater diversity in viewpoints among the staff. He noted the overwhelming number of registered Democrats versus Republicans in editorial positions at NPR’s headquarters and how it impacted the outlet’s coverage of major news stories. While NPR did not provide a comment for publication in response to recent events, Republican lawmakers are actively working to defund the organization and ensure that publicly-funded media outlets remain politically diverse and accountable to taxpayers.
