| Friend,
Earlier this week, Twitter put a “US-state affiliated media” label on NPR’s official Twitter account — inaccurately placing it in the same category as government-aligned propaganda outlets in China and Russia.1
While CEO Elon Musk is already walking back the move, it follows a pattern of right-wing politicians and pundits stoking distrust of outlets like NPR and PBS — with the sole aim of decimating federal funding for public media.
And just last month, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R–Texas) introduced legislation that would end the federal government’s financial support of both NPR and PBS.2
We've beaten back threats to slash funding to public media before. And we can do it again. Join Free Press Action and tell Congress: Protect public media! Public-media outlets in the United States reach communities that aren’t served by commercial local news — and are consistently rated among the most trusted media sources in public-opinion surveys. That means something in our increasingly polarized media landscape.
Our nation’s public-media system produces great journalism but is one of the most poorly funded in the world. At $465 million in FY 2022, the public allocation boils down to a little more than $1.40 per person in the United States. By comparison, the United Kingdom spends more than $81 per person and France more than $75.3 The spending figures are even higher in Denmark, Finland and Norway.
Studies show that the health of a country’s democracy is directly connected to the strength of its public media. More robust funding for public media would strengthen U.S. democracy, leading to lower levels of extremism and deeper public engagement in civic life. That’s exactly what the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 intended.
But with NPR and PBS funding constantly in the crosshairs, commercial media in collapse and disinformation at catastrophic levels, it’s critical we raise our voices now. Add your name to our petition calling on Congress to protect funding for public media. Thanks for taking action,
All of us at Free Press Action
freepress.net
1. "Twitter Slaps NPR With a Dubious New Tag: 'State-Affiliated Media,'" The Washington Post, April 5, 2023 2. “Republican Launches Fresh Effort to Yank Federal Funding of Public Radio and TV,” Inside Radio, March 23, 2023 3. “Do Countries with Better-Funded Public Media Also Have Healthier Democracies? Of Course They Do,” NiemanLab, Jan. 24, 2022  |
