Public media, a vital institution that has served the American people for over 50 years, is facing an existential threat. By writing a letter to your senators, you can make your voice heard and help save it.
On June 12, the House voted to support President Trump’s request to rescind $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB), which provides financial support to both National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), as well as more than 1,500 locally-owned public radio and television stations. The request now heads to the Senate, which is expected to vote later this month.
These cuts would disproportionately harm local and rural stations that tend to rely more heavily on federal support – many of the same places where news deserts are growing across the country. If the Senate decides to follow the House’s lead and votes to pull back this funding, money which the government initially approved, the effects would be devastating.
Here are six consequences:
- Hastening the decline of local and rural news outlets. News outlets in rural areas are in peril. For more than two decades, as the internet has transformed the way we consume information and as technology companies have siphoned off ad revenue for journalism, local and rural news outlets have been left in the lurch, struggling to stay afloat financially. This has led to a phenomenon known as “news deserts,” areas where news outlets have shut down and left communities lacking access to reliable news, disproportionately harming underserved and rural communities. Public media like locally owned stations, as well as NPR and PBS, play a vital role in providing consistent, credible information to residents in these areas and in holding local government and corporate actors accountable.
- Defunding emergency weather and natural disaster alerts. If you’ve received an emergency alert warning of hazardous weather, it was probably communicated using public media. During a weather emergency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) typically sends an alert to the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS), managed by NPR, to disseminate to residents. There is virtually no part of America that doesn’t benefit from these alerts, which warn of extreme weather or natural disasters. Stripping public media of funding would make sending these alerts more difficult, endangering the safety of Americans across the country.
- Leading to more political bias in the media, not less. One of Trump’s main justifications for requesting the rescission of CPB funds is that public media is biased because it presents left-leaning political viewpoints. In reality, though, independent media monitors consistently rate PBS and NPR as factual and balanced, finding no systemic partisan bias in news coverage. The mission of public media is to “educate, inform, foster curiosity, and promote civil discourse essential to American society.” Many Americans, regardless of political affiliation, say they recognize public media as unbiased and trustworthy compared to other outlets. Gutting public media would only increase the presence of biased news. In the face of growing news deserts, many Americans are turning to unreliable information sources that promote a particular viewpoint or political agenda—or simply making money—further polluting our media ecosystem.
- Undermining American trust in the news media. Americans’ trust in media institutions remains at a record low, with only 31% saying they have “a great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence in them. On the other hand, public media are among the most trusted institutions in the country, with PBS voted the most trusted institution in America for 22 years. This trust is precisely because it is publicly funded. People are more likely to trust media that is funded with their money, a recent survey shows, and taking that away risks further degrading trust in American media.
- Decreasing civil engagement. Public media is a crucial source of free information and educational programming for all Americans, and promotes civic learning as part of its programming. Resources provided by public media, such as the Civic Collection, empower disaffected Americans to become more engaged within their communities and their country. At a time when large numbers of Americans are becoming apathetic to current events, public media keeps citizens informed and engaged.
- Detracting from a crucial source of education for children. In addition to creating educational programs like Sesame Street, outlets like PBS support and complement the efforts of schools, teachers, and parents to educate children, with free resources that boost children’s creativity and curiosity. PBS LearningMedia, for example, accumulates educational materials from places like the Library of Congress, NASA, and the Smithsonian to help educators and parents create interactive lessons and digital resources to enhance learning.
Congress’ attempt to pull back this money isn’t about fiscal responsibility. It is an attempt to silence media outlets that don’t align with the president’s preferred narrative. The Senate must reject this attack on truth and an independent press, and stand up for those who depend on PBS, NPR, and local public media TV and radio stations across the country for credible reporting and vital cultural programming. Nebraska Public Media CEO Stacey Decker has said the proposed cuts constitute “the most serious threat that public media has ever faced.”
Tell your senators to protect the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and to reject this rescission package. Enter your voter registration address to look up your senator to send a letter today. And consider getting involved in the Protect My Public Media campaign.
