Local time on May 1, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to revoke federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

The executive order stated that it does not matter what views NPR and PBS promote. What is important is that "neither of these organizations provides fair, accurate, or unbiased news coverage to the taxpaying public."

According to the Associated Press, broadcasting companies such as NPR and PBS receive approximately $500 million in public funds through CPB, which has long been a source of complaint for Republicans. Since Trump's return to the White House, these news agencies have been preparing for significant cuts in funding.

The report pointed out that this is the latest move by the Trump administration to use federal power to control or restrict news agencies whose viewpoints differ from his own.

Last month, Trump threatened to cut off funding for these two institutions via a post on the "Truth Social" platform, calling them "radical leftist monsters" that severely harm our country.

Headquarters of NPR. AP News

It is worth noting that NPR, headquartered in Washington D.C., reported this story concerning itself. NPR wrote, "NPR did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the executive order."

Recently, NPR President and CEO Catherine Maddah defended the media, saying, "In an era of extensive reporting on diverse issues and areas of concern, it is crucial for public media to remain relevant."

According to NPR, approximately 1% of NPR's funding comes directly from the federal government, with slightly more obtained indirectly; its 246 member stations operate over 1,300 radio stations, with 8% to 10% of each station's funding coming from CPB. As for PBS, about 15% of its funding comes from CPB.

The report also noted that PBS provides a large amount of educational content, while NPR focuses more on news and music. Both are free and cover over 99% of the U.S. population. In many states and communities, these radio stations are essential components of emergency and disaster response systems.

Since Trump's return to the White House, he has taken strong action against many media institutions.

Previously, Trump ordered a reduction in the size of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, resulting in all Voice of America employees being placed on leave, and other institutions such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia were also affected.

In addition, due to the Associated Press' refusal to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "American Gulf" in accordance with Trump's executive order, AP journalists were banned from entering the White House Oval Office for events. The AP accused the White House of attempting to limit freedom of speech by controlling word usage.

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Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7499821921627603491/

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