As Twitchy reported earlier, Senator Ted Cruz has schooled the recently defunded NPR and PBS by citing the Communications Act of 1934, which requires NPR to maintain strict objectivity and balance in all programs. As we reported, over the weekend, the heads of both NPR and PBS laughably claimed that their reporting is "straight down the line," even though NPR’s Washington headquarters has 87 registered Democrats among its editors and zero Republicans. In March, even liberal Bill Maher said NPR was "crazy far-left."
Bloomberg has a piece out Tuesday explaining how PBS and NPR are even more vital now in the media landscape, where social media allows so much disinformation to spread and fact-checkers are being let go.
NPR and PBS — with their journalistic and educational programming — are crucial in a media landscape now full of platforms that aren’t committed to facts, writes @ajbauer https://t.co/fwSSPm9qHr
— Bloomberg (@business) May 6, 2025
First of all, that picture they used with the story: "Yes to Elmo, No to Elon." Sesame Workshop cut a deal with HBO in 2015, which gave them a huge influx of cash. Sesame Workshop has cut plenty of licensing deals. No one's trying to "kill Big Bird," as Democrats always claim.
Guest columnist A.J. Bauer writes that NPR and PBS aren't threats, except to the Trump White House, but treasures that are "crucial in a media landscape now full of platforms that aren't committed to facts." Yeah, we all remember how committed NPR was to getting to the facts of the Hunter Biden laptop story.
Let NPR and PBS continue to be progressive propaganda networks — just not on the taxpayer's dime.
Katherine Maher (NPR CEO): “I think our reverence for the truth might have become a bit of a distraction that is preventing us from finding consensus and getting important things done.”https://t.co/8p9jkKIGgP
— Dana (@OhMelodylane) May 6, 2025
“Committed to facts?” Since when?
— Jeff (@JeffAthwart) May 6, 2025
NPR CEO Katherine Maher famously claimed that “truth can be a distraction.”
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I agree. They can do it without taxpayer money
— Little Big Man (@HeathLongmire) May 6, 2025
No, they are definitely not crucial.
— Harry Flashman (@KamalaGrapple) May 6, 2025
Sounds like a great opportunity for private philanthropy
— Michael (@Michael77363754) May 6, 2025
Writes:
— Daniel A. (@jdaniel_84) May 6, 2025
Someone who clarified which pronouns to use.
Some who writes for Politico and thinks Fox News is propaganda.
Sounds like a joke, but it's not.
Even if every assertion about the value of PBS and NPR is true, it still doesn't follow that the government has any authority or responsibility to require taxpayers to fund it. A government-funded media is anathema to the idea of a free and independent press.
— Can of Spam (@iDoLikeSpam) May 6, 2025
How are they crucial? If we want DNC talking points read aloud we can go to CNN or MSNBC.
Ah yes, what will we do without NPR and their aggressive commitment to facts pic.twitter.com/naCKU9MORC
— Sox Populi (@LibBlocker4000) May 6, 2025
They can peddle their message in the open marketplace. If they provide value, they will succeed. Demanding a portion of my wages to peddle their viewpoint indicates I do not value them, and the majority of wage earners don't either.
— RINOHunter2026 (@FtheCensors) May 6, 2025
Russia collusion?
— The Watchdog (@TheWatchdogDBQ) May 6, 2025
Hunter laptop not real?
COVID lab leak a myth?
All were presented as fact by the hacks at NPR/PBS
So get stuffed
you guys seem to have a really hard time understanding a very simple concept. https://t.co/BA2o2xg8UM
— Dr Van Nostrand, G.E.D. (@NostrandVandr) May 6, 2025
Please quit.
— RVA Chico 🌲 (@Chico23116) May 6, 2025
The evidence is clear, both these organizations are Democratic propagandists funded by taxpayers
Why should taxpayers fund organizations that hate a large majority of Americans?
I heard a report on NPR the other day about the “political revenge” being taken on Harvard. There was zero mention of antisemitism or really any of the direct asks of the federal government.
— George (not Costanza) (@boulderjorge) May 6, 2025
This is propaganda and shouldn’t require my money.
Whenever defunding of NPR and PBS came up before, they always assured us that a tiny fraction of their funding came from the taxpayers. But now they're acting like they can't go on without it.
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