Ending Taxpayer Subsidization Of Biased Media
President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order on May 1, 2025, to terminate all federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
The order cites the purported lack of fair, accurate, and unbiased news coverage by these organizations, arguing that taxpayer funding in the modern media landscape is unnecessary and detrimental to journalistic independence.
The order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and other federal agencies to cease direct and indirect funding, setting deadlines for compliance and outlining specific actions to be taken to ensure NPR and PBS no longer receive federal subsidies.
A clause addresses potential legal challenges and maintains the President's authority to allocate federal funds.
Arguments For
Intended benefits: Eliminating perceived bias in federally funded media; ensuring taxpayer dollars support only fair, accurate, and unbiased news; promoting journalistic independence.
Evidence cited: The order cites the CPB's governing statute, highlighting impartiality principles, and argues that NPR and PBS do not meet these standards.
Implementation methods: Specifies actions for the CPB Board and other agencies to terminate direct and indirect funding for NPR and PBS; sets deadlines for implementing changes to grant criteria.
Legal/historical basis: The order is based on the President's constitutional authority and the laws of the United States, asserting the government's right to determine which activities to subsidize.
Arguments Against
Potential impacts: Loss of funding for NPR and PBS could lead to reduced programming and potential layoffs; raises concerns about freedom of the press and potential government censorship.
Implementation challenges: Legal challenges to this order are possible; agencies may face difficulties in completely eliminating indirect funding of NPR and PBS.
Alternative approaches: Increased monitoring and oversight of CPB to ensure compliance with existing impartiality standards; public education campaigns to encourage media literacy and critical consumption of news.
Unintended effects: The order could create a chilling effect on other news organizations; potentially escalating political polarization; a precedent for future presidents to defund media perceived as unfavorable.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) receive taxpayer funds through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). 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.
At the very least, Americans have the right to expect that if their tax dollars fund public broadcasting at all, they fund only fair, accurate, unbiased, and nonpartisan news coverage. No media outlet has a constitutional right to taxpayer subsidies, and the Government is entitled to determine which categories of activities to subsidize. The CPB’s governing statute reflects principles of impartiality: the CPB may not “contribute to or otherwise support any political party.” 47 U.S.C. 396(f)(3); see also id. 396(e)(2).
The CPB fails to abide by these principles to the extent it subsidizes NPR and PBS. Which viewpoints NPR and PBS promote does not matter. What does matter is that neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.
I therefore instruct the CPB Board of Directors (CPB Board) and all executive departments and agencies (agencies) to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS.
This section establishes the purpose of the order.
It argues that because today's media landscape is diverse, government funding of NPR and PBS is outdated and undermines journalistic independence.
It asserts the right of the government to choose what activities to subsidize and claims that NPR and PBS do not provide fair or unbiased news, justifying the termination of federal funding.
The President directs the CPB Board and relevant agencies to cease funding.
Sec. 2. Instructions to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. (a) The CPB Board shall cease direct funding to NPR and PBS, consistent with my Administration’s policy to ensure that Federal funding does not support biased and partisan news coverage. The CPB Board shall cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law and shall decline to provide future funding.
(b) The CPB Board shall cease indirect funding to NPR and PBS, including by ensuring that licensees and permittees of public radio and television stations, as well as any other recipients of CPB funds, do not use Federal funds for NPR and PBS. To effectuate this directive, the CPB Board shall, before June 30, 2025, revise the 2025 Television Community Service Grants General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria and the 2025 Radio Community Service Grants General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria to prohibit direct or indirect funding of NPR and PBS. To the extent permitted by the 2024 Television Community Service Grants General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria, the 2024 Radio Community Service Grants General Provisions and Eligibility Criteria, and applicable law, the CPB Board shall also prohibit parties subject to these provisions from funding NPR or PBS after the date of this order. In addition, the CPB Board shall take all other necessary steps to minimize or eliminate its indirect funding of NPR and PBS.
This section details instructions for the CPB Board.
It mandates the cessation of both direct and indirect funding to NPR and PBS. The Board is instructed to cancel existing funding and prevent future funding, including by revising grant criteria to explicitly prohibit supporting NPR and PBS. The order seeks comprehensive funding elimination, directly and indirectly, by June 30, 2025.
Sec. 3. Instructions to Other Agencies. (a) The heads of all agencies shall identify and terminate, to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, any direct or indirect funding of NPR and PBS.
(b) After taking the actions specified in subsection (a) of this section, the heads of all agencies shall identify any remaining grants, contracts, or other funding instruments entered into with NPR or PBS and shall determine whether NPR and PBS are in compliance with the terms of those instruments. In the event of a finding of noncompliance, the head of the relevant agency shall take appropriate steps under the terms of the instrument.
(c) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall determine whether “the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio (or any successor organization)” are complying with the statutory mandate that “no person shall be subjected to discrimination in employment . . . on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.” 47 U.S.C. 397(15), 398(b). In the event of a finding of noncompliance, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall take appropriate corrective action.
Instructions are given to all federal agencies.
Agencies must identify and end any direct or indirect funding for NPR and PBS. Agencies must also review existing agreements with NPR and PBS for compliance; non-compliance warrants appropriate action.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services is tasked with reviewing compliance with employment non-discrimination laws.
Sec. 4. Severability. If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any agency, person, or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its provisions to any other agencies, persons, or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
This section ensures that if any part of the order is deemed legally invalid, the remaining parts remain in effect.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
This section clarifies that the order does not impact existing legal authorities of agencies or the OMB's functions.
Implementation must follow existing laws and be subject to available funding.
The order itself does not create any new legal rights or benefits.