US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to cut funding for the National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), two of the biggest media outlets in America.
The executive order, signed on Thursday, directed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease direct funding for both media outlets to the maximum extent allowed by law and also withdraw from granting them any future financing.
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This move is part of a broader campaign against media outlets that Mr Trump perceives as hostile to his administration.
The executive order also instructs federal agencies to identify and terminate any indirect funding to these broadcasters.
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“The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding,” the order said, according to Reuters.
It also said, “Unlike in 1967, when the CPB was established, today the media landscape is filled with abundant, diverse, and innovative news options.
“Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.”
President Trump has long accused NPR and PBS of harbouring political bias and promoting left-wing agendas, a claim firmly rejected by leaders at both organisations.
In a post on Trust social last month, the president, while demanding their defunding, described the organisations as “radical left ‘monsters’ that so badly hurt our country.” Similarly, the White House also accused the outlets of receiving millions from taxpayers to “spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.”
CPB, NPR, PBS react
However, the CPB has rejected the order, stating that the corporation is not a federal executive agency subject to Mr Trump’s authority.
The corporation is a private body legally protected from government interference, including executive orders from the president.
The corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, Patricia Harrison, issued a statement on Friday, saying, “Congress directly authorised and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government.”
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The CPB provides about $132 million of federal funds each year to support public radio stations. However, according to NPR, it receives only about one per cent of its funding directly from the government.
It also described the executive order as a blatantly unlawful policy issued to threaten its ability to serve American citizens.
PBS also said, “We are currently exploring all options to allow PBS to continue to serve our member stations and all Americans.”
“We will vigorously defend our right to provide essential news, information and life-saving services to the American public. We will challenge this Executive Order using all means available.”
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