Report: ‘Bloodbath’ Brewing at NPR Over Federal Funding Cuts

Uh oh. Remember the two-week news cycle when candidate Donald Trump said there'd be a bloodbath in the American auto industry if President Joe Biden were reelected? We remember Rep. Dan Goldman playing dumb and saying he'd never heard of the word being used in that context.

Now, The New York Post is reporting that a bloodbath is brewing at NPR due to federal funding cuts. We're confused because we remember NPR saying that taxpayer funding was just a teeny tiny fraction of its operating budget and that the propaganda outlet would be fine. But The Post is saying 300 buyouts are being offered.

Bloodbath brews at NPR due to federal funding cut - as 300 buyouts offered https://t.co/ggbdNjUPif pic.twitter.com/kP0ZTmUvhM
— New York Post (@nypost) May 19, 2026

It’s true.

I was in charge of the weekly segment about a knitting club started for disabled transgender Ethiopian immigrants and I just received my buyout notice. https://t.co/L954GPppiD
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) May 19, 2026

The Post reports:

NPR is slashing jobs and restructuring its newsroom as the public-radio giant grapples with a financial crunch fueled by federal funding cuts, weakening station revenue and dramatic changes in how Americans consume news.
The nonprofit broadcaster told staff this week that roughly 300 employees, mostly on newsgathering desks, are eligible for voluntary buyouts as executives scramble to close an $8 million budget gap.
NPR management expects only about 30 employees to accept the buyouts voluntarily, meaning layoffs in the 425-strong newsroom could follow if too few workers opt in.
The downsizing comes during a grim moment for the news biz, with the Washington Post seeing brutal cuts and CBS News launching layoffs earlier this year.

National and general-assignments desks will merge, according to NPR Editor-in-Chief Thomas Evans. Culture, education, religion, addiction and sports coverage will be consolidated into a single society-and-culture desk, he said.
Science and climate coverage will also combine, while global health reporting will move under the international desk, under the new plan.

This is like when NBC News had to cut its verticals like NBC OUT and NBC BLK.

All they had to do was provide balanced reporting.

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Report: ‘Bloodbath’ Brewing at NPR Over Federal Funding Cuts

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