On May 1, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that puts an end to federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
BREAKING: @POTUS just signed an executive order ENDING the taxpayer subsidization of NPR and PBS — which receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as “news.”
Here is the text of the order:
By the authority vested in me as President by the…
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 2, 2025
That means no more public money going to these outlets through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which has sent them millions over the years.
“Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary,” the order states, “but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.”
In other words, if the government is paying the bills, people are going to wonder whether the reporting is really fair. For a lot of folks, that trust has already been lost.
What This Means
Trump’s order tells the CPB to stop giving money directly to NPR and PBS.
It also tells them to make sure local public radio and TV stations — many of which carry NPR and PBS content — don’t use federal funds to pay for it.
Agencies across the federal government are also being told to cancel any contracts or grants going to those two outlets.
The CPB has until June 30 to update its rules and follow through on the changes.
This isn’t just about cutting costs, though. It’s about trust and fairness.
“No media outlet has a constitutional right to taxpayer subsidies,” the order reads. “The Government is entitled to determine which categories of activities to subsidize.”
That’s a key point.
This doesn’t shut down NPR or PBS — they can still operate, raise money, and broadcast content. They just won’t be doing it with federal tax dollars anymore.
A Long Time Coming
This move has been talked about for years.
President Trump called for defunding public broadcasting in his earlier budgets, but now it’s official policy.
Conservative groups and writers have raised concerns about NPR and PBS leaning left for decades — and not just on opinion pieces, but in how stories are selected and told.
Some Democrats and media groups say this is an attack on journalism and public education.
NPR and PBS say they offer important programming, especially for kids and rural areas, and they’re exploring legal options.
They argue the president doesn’t have the authority to cut funding that’s already been approved by Congress.
But supporters of the decision say the point isn’t to get rid of those programs. It’s to stop using federal dollars to support media that appears one-sided.
If NPR and PBS want to continue, they’re welcome to — just not on the taxpayers’ dime.
These days, there are more media choices than ever.
People get news from podcasts, YouTube, social media, and dozens of websites. In that kind of landscape, many wonder why the federal government is still funding media at all — especially media that a lot of Americans feel doesn’t represent them.
This new order doesn’t silence anyone. It simply says that if people want to support NPR or PBS, they can — with their own wallets, not someone else’s.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
