[By Guancha Observer Network, Chen Sijia] On May 27 local time, National Public Radio (NPR) announced that it has filed a lawsuit against US President Trump, stating that the administrative order issued by Trump on May 1 to revoke federal funding violates the US Constitution and the First Amendment. As of now, the White House has not yet responded to this lawsuit.

NPR reported that a legal team including Theodore J. Boutrous, a renowned media litigation lawyer in the United States, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of NPR and three public radio stations in Colorado at the Federal Court of Washington.

The complaint names US President Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Boustany, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, and National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Maria Rosario Jackson as defendants, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to "usurp Congress's right to guide how federal funds are used and legislate."

NPR stated that the executive order issued by Trump on May 1 is a "textbook retaliatory action," posing a survival threat to the public broadcasting system that provides news and information to millions of Americans. "This order specifically targets NPR and PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), because in the President's view, their news and other content have not been 'fair, accurate or unbiased,'" the statement said.

Katharine Maher, president and CEO of NPR, said in a statement: "This executive order clearly violates the protection of freedom of speech, association, and press freedom under the US Constitution and the First Amendment."

National Public Radio (NPR) headquarters, Visual China

Trump signed an executive order on May 1 requiring the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to revoke federal funding for NPR and PBS. The executive order stated that what views NPR and PBS promote are irrelevant; the key point is that "neither of these institutions provides fair, accurate, or unbiased coverage of current events to taxpaying citizens."

CPB is a private nonprofit company authorized by the US Congress under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. It serves as the manager of federal investment in public broadcasting, with the mission to ensure that the American public receives non-commercial high-quality content and telecommunications services. The company does not produce any programs, nor owns, operates, or controls any public radio station in the United States.

According to the Associated Press, NPR and PBS, among other broadcasting companies, receive approximately $500 million in public funds through CPB, which Republicans have long complained about. Since returning to the White House, these news agencies have been preparing for a significant reduction in funding.

According to NPR, NPR receives about 1% of its funds directly from CPB and another 1% indirectly; its 246 member organizations operate more than 1,300 radio stations, each receiving 8% to 10% of their funding from CPB. PBS receives about 15% of its funding from CPB.

Katharine Maher believes that Trump's executive order is "illegal retaliation" against NPR. In her statement, she noted that the US Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled over the past 80 years that the government has no authority to determine what constitutes "bias." "NPR will never agree to such an infringement on our constitutional rights or those of our member stations. NPR will not compromise our commitment to independent journalistic freedom and news integrity," she said.

CPB also refused to accept Trump's order. Patricia Harrison, president of CPB and former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement: "CPB is not a federal administrative agency subject to presidential jurisdiction. Congress directly authorizes and funds CPB to become a private nonprofit corporation independent of the federal government."

Harrison pointed out that the bill passed by Congress to create CPB "clearly prohibits any guidance, supervision, or control by any department, agency, official, or employee of the United States over educational television, radio, CPB, or CPB grantees and contractors."

As of now, the White House has not yet responded to NPR's lawsuit.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has taken strong actions against many media institutions in the United States. Previously, Trump ordered a reduction in the scale of the US International Media Agency and attempted to close several US "publicity outlets" such as Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Europe.

In addition, the Associated Press was denied access to the Oval Office at the White House to participate in activities because it did not rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "American Gulf" according to Trump's executive order. The Associated Press accused the White House of trying to "restrict freedom of speech" by controlling language.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7509143413716025865/

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