A veteran NPR editor’s admission of the media outlet’s liberal and Democratic political bias has reignited the conservative push to defund National Public Radio (NPR) led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Cruz discussed Uri Berliner’s explosive op-ed published in The Free Press on his podcast “The Verdict” which detailed NPR’s alleged progressive shift and its impact on news coverage particularly following the 2016 presidential election.
Berliner, a long-time NPR editor, claimed that the organization has increasingly aligned with far-left ideologies leading many conservatives to believe that the network was actively working against then-President Donald Trump. He criticized NPR’s handling of the Trump-Russia collusion story and its dismissal of the Hunter Biden laptop story as a mere “distraction.”
This is NPR's new CEO, Katherine Maher. Reminder: Our taxes fund her salary. pic.twitter.com/nWLAI1KEql
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) April 14, 2024
Cruz questioned the justification for using taxpayer dollars to support a platform that he believes no longer represents a wide range of Americans. “The revelations from Mr. Berliner who has been part of NPR for over 25 years shine a light on a profound shift at NPR” he stated on his podcast.
The Media Research Center’s Newsbusters executive editor Tim Graham expressed a similar sentiment commenting “It’s unfair really for them to take my tax dollars and slap me in the face with it.” He highlighted the contentious nature of using public funds to support media outlets that serve only a small portion of the American population.
House Republicans recently attempted to address this issue by proposing cuts to NPR’s funding in the 2024 government spending bill. However compromise with Democrats led to the restoration of the provision in the final version signed into law dashing hopes that the GOP would adequately represent its constituents on this matter.
As advocacy journalism becomes increasingly prevalent in the media landscape conservatives argue that public funds should not be used to support outlets that predominantly cater to a specific political ideology. Berliner’s allegations have further eroded trust in NPR’s ability to maintain journalistic integrity while receiving federal funding as its editorial slant appears to be increasingly left-wing and aligned with the Democratic Party.
