PBS, NPR Face Congressional Hearing Over Alleged Bias News Reporting

On Wednesday, the leadership of national public broadcasting entities such as NPR and PBS faced grueling inquiry regarding accusations of alleged biases in their reporting. According to The Associated Press, a staunch brigade led by House Republicans seeks to defund the news organizations because of their alleged left-leaning “propaganda.” The call to see these organizations lose support is a part of President Trump’s administration’s goal in making government spending more efficient.

According to The Associated Press, PBS chief executive Paula Kreger and NPR President Katherine Maher battled questions and concerns from conservative lawmakers that alleged their programming had devolved into “disinformation.” One of the loudest champions of this effort, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, used props displaying an alleged “drag queen” that she accused of being shown in children’s programming on PBS. She was also dismayed that the network showed documentaries chronicling the lives of transgender people. Kreger calmly explained the image of the “drag queen” was shown in error on a New York PBS station’s website. And the documentary was an example of programming that mirrors the lives of everyday Americans.

This battle for the airwaves is nothing new. The AP states that the GOP has long been disgruntled about these stations’ news coverage. But most actions to eliminate them have consistently failed because they are vital news sources to most rural areas, a large swath of the GOP’s base. However, this sentiment has changed under Trump, who has vocalized ire toward several press entities and media since his first presidency in 2016.

“This is an existential moment for them,” said Kerger about smaller stations serving local communities via The AP. Around 336 PBS stations alone provide vital programming, including educational content for children.

For NPR, Maher explained she does not believe their company is “politically biased.” According to The Associated Press, she explained they cover a gamut of news from different political viewpoints. While she does not control editorial content, Maher admitted to some past mistakes, including the lack of coverage regarding alleged information on Hunter Biden’s laptop. When asked whether NPR could withstand without taxpayer funds, she echoed, “It would be incredibly damaging to the national public radio system.”

As Republicans displayed the alleged harm these media outlets cause with taxpayer dollars, Democrats voiced the opposite. According to The AP, many mocked their GOP colleagues’ serious efforts with quips about Big Bird, asking if Elmo was a communist, and alleging an agenda being spun by characters such as Bert and Ernie. Others vocalized this effort as a distraction from more pertinent issues.

“If shame was still a thing, this hearing would be shameful,” said Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch via The Associated Press. Lynch compared the hearing to the national security mishap of an Atlantic reporter being included in a Signal group chat detailing the specifics of a U.S. military strike executed a month ago in Yemen. The reporter alleged classified information was shared amongst several of Trump’s cabinet leaders, including the head of the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth,  and the FBI director, Kash Patel.

In addition to this crusade, the Trump administration has threatened other media entities for alleged progressive perspectives. The FCC targeted Comcast and NBCUniversal for alleged practices focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. And Trump’s hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center saw immediate resignations and program cancellations.