Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee intends to introduce a bill that aims to cut funding for NPR amidst the criticism over its perceived left-leaning bias. The news outlet, which receives some of its funding from the public, has come under fire after a senior editor acknowledged the organization’s bias against conservative viewpoints. Following this revelation, the editor, Uri Berliner, was suspended and subsequently resigned on Wednesday:
My resignation letter to NPR CEO @krmaher pic.twitter.com/0hafVbcZAK
— Uri Berliner (@uberliner) April 17, 2024
NPR’s recently appointed CEO, Katherine Maher, is facing criticism for her past social media activity, which reveals her extensive involvement in far-left activism.
During an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Blackburn announced her intention to cease all government financial support for the far-left group. In a formal declaration, Blackburn publicly denounced NPR.
“The mainstream media has become obsessed with doing the left’s bidding and taking down strong conservatives — and NPR has led the pack,” she told Fox News.
“It makes no sense that the American people are forced to fund a propagandist left-wing outlet that refuses to represent the voices of half the country. NPR should not receive our tax dollars,” she concluded.
Blackburn attempted to cut NPR’s funding in 2011, as reported by Fox News, but the attempt did not succeed. Even though NPR primarily relies on advertising for its funding, a small portion of about 1 percent comes from taxpayers through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which also supports PBS, known for its left-leaning content.
Following an essay by Berliner in The Free Press, NPR suspended him last week, where he expressed concerns about the organization losing the trust of the American public over the years. Berliner highlighted that NPR’s audience has shifted towards the left since 2011, with the majority of its staff members being identified as liberal.
“An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America,” the now-former editor wrote.
On Tuesday, the outlet made an announcement stating that Berliner, a dedicated NPR employee of 25 years, has been subjected to a five-day suspension without pay due to his criticism of the organization’s bias. NPR has also taken notice of Maher’s viral social media posts that have gained significant attention this week.
Last week a senior editor at @NPR publicly admitted they switched from journalism to activism when Donald Trump won the presidency.
This week, the new CEO Katherine Maher says their editorial direction will not change.
You'll never guess why. pic.twitter.com/Op2P2IJg76
— Lawrence Hakiwai (Father/of two) (@SonofOmahu) April 15, 2024
She gets goosebumps when she sees diversity rolling through the credits of a film. She never centers her whiteness. She is always willing to call people in, rather than call them out. She checks her privilege. Diversity and inclusion is not an HR program; it's a way of life. NPR. https://t.co/CTYZzAEJjA
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) April 16, 2024
The new NPR, CEO Katherine Maher is now haunted by own woke, anti-Trump tweets as a veteran editor claimed the agency is bias.
She said this when BLM was destroying businesses: pic.twitter.com/WOzLjIizqv
— Tired of being politically correct (@USBornNRaised) April 14, 2024
