Leaders of NPR and PBS announced their intention to contest President Trump's directive to cut public funding, calling it unlawful.
NPR and PBS Response to Trump's Order
NPR and PBS CEOs, Katherine Maher and Paula Kerger, expressed their willingness to explore legal options in response to Trump's order to reduce public funding. They emphasized that this decision would adversely affect local stations and their audiences.
Statements from NPR and PBS Executives
Katherine Maher highlighted that NPR has 246 member organizations with newsrooms in every state. Paula Kerger noted that Trump's order, signed in the middle of the night, threatens PBS's ability to provide educational programming to the American public.
CITE_W_A: "We're looking at whatever options are available to us... I think it's a little preliminary for us to be able to speak to specific strategies that we would take." ~ Katherine Maher.
Trump's Reaction to Public Funding
On April 29, Trump stated that he would 'love to' defund NPR and PBS, describing it as 'very unfair' and 'very biased.' He further emphasized that in today's media landscape, government funding of news media is outdated and unnecessary.
Leadership at NPR and PBS emphasizes the importance of defending their right to provide essential services and information, as well as their commitment to resisting threats from the Trump administration.
