Updated 28 May 2025 at 01:04 IST
NPR and three of its local stations filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration, challenging an executive order that seeks to halt all federal funding to NPR and PBS. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., argues that the move violates the Constitution and the First Amendment.
The public radio network was joined by Aspen Public Radio, Colorado Public Radio, and KSUT Public Radio in the legal challenge. The lawsuit claims the executive order targets public broadcasters because their reporting is not, in the President’s view, “fair, accurate, or unbiased.”
“The President's Executive Order is directly counter to Congress's long standing intent, as expressed in the Public Broadcasting Act, to foster vibrant institutions that achieve that mission, serving all Americans independent of political influence,” said NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher.
The lawsuit comes at a time when Republican leaders have increased their attacks on public broadcasting, focusing on the federal funding allocated to NPR and PBS. The executive order directs the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to freeze funding to both organizations — a move that could heavily impact local radio stations that rely on CPB support for up to 10% of their annual budgets.
Although NPR receives only about 1% of its total funding from CPB, the local stations that make up the public media network depend much more heavily on federal dollars to operate.
The lawsuit names several key officials in the Trump administration, including President Trump, White House budget director Russell Vought, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and National Endowment for the Arts chair Maria Rosario Jackson.
The complaint asserts that the executive order is politically motivated and attempts to punish public broadcasters for their editorial content.
In a statement to Axios, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields defended the administration’s decision:
“The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is creating media to support a particular political party on the taxpayers' dime. Therefore, the President is exercising his lawful authority to limit funding to NPR and PBS.”
“The President was elected with a mandate to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and he will continue to use his lawful authority to achieve that objective,” Fields added.
The outcome of the lawsuit could shape the future of public media in the United States. NPR and its affiliates argue that removing funding based on perceived political bias undermines the independence of journalism and violates constitutional protections. The case may also set a precedent for how far a president can go in using funding as leverage over public institutions.
Published 28 May 2025 at 01:04 IST