Friend,

Yesterday, I testified before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee seeking evidence of so-called “left-wing bias” at NPR.

As I told members of Congress, I do not represent NPR, PBS or the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. But I hoped to provide a voice for NPR’s tens of millions of weekly listeners, who rely on the service for fact-checked journalism, local viewpoints and international coverage.

Over the past 20 years, I have been both an advocate for and a critic of the public-broadcasting system — which I believe can do more to live up to its mandate and mission. But this won’t be accomplished by tarnishing the reputation of NPR’s accomplished journalists, tearing down the institution or starving it of funds.

Threats to defund NPR endanger the work of more than 1,000 local radio stations providing essential information to communities large and small. In many of these communities, they are the only source of local news. Donors to Free Press Action have played a crucial role in helping us fight back against attacks like these in the past, friend. Will you make your first donation of $10 or any amount today? Your gift will help us protect and strengthen ALL forms of public media.

Congressional Republicans have threatened public media for years, spreading disinformation about the necessary work of NPR and PBS. Here are the facts:

• U.S. government spending per capita on public media is a drop in the federal budget bucket. The U.S. FY 2022 allocation boils down to little more than $3.16 per person in the country.¹
• A 2022 poll rated PBS and its 350 member stations as the most-trusted media sources.² And 42 million people tune into NPR every week.
• Republicans are looking in the wrong place for blatant bias in the media. For years, Sinclair Broadcast Group (which operates nearly 200 local-news stations across the country in over 100 markets) has assaulted the public with broadcast segments chock-full of right-wing bias, disinformation and lies.

While Congress has a role in overseeing the operations and financial management of NPR, threats to defund it based on a perceived failure to cover certain topics or hire certain people strike at the heart of journalistic freedom.

We have an opportunity to talk about how to rebuild and expand the public-media system to meet the real needs of local communities. If you’re with us in the fight to save and build a better public-media system, make your first donation to Free Press Action today.

Thanks so much for your support,

Craig Aaron
Co-CEO
Free Press and Free Press Action
freepress.net

P.S. We’ve fought efforts to defund NPR and PBS before, and we’ll do it again. Donate today to support this critical work.

1. “Do Countries With Better-Funded Public Media Have Healthier Democracies? Of Course They Do,” NiemanLab, Jan. 24, 2022

2. “PBS and Member Stations Named ‘Most Trusted’ Media Organization for 19 Consecutive Years,” PBS, March 17, 2022