NPR and PBS were in the spotlight at a House hearing this morning before the Delivering on Government Efficiency subcommittee, as Republican grilled the CEOs of the public broadcasting outlets over alleged biases.
GOP lawmakers, led by Rep. Bob Good, have expressed their intent to defund public media outlets like PBS and NPR, citing concerns over perceived liberal bias in their reporting. During a recent House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, they interrogated the CEOs of PBS and NPR, Paula Kerger and Katherine Maher respectively, about their content and funding. The lawmakers criticized the use of federal funds for what they see as biased programming, with Rep. Good specifically mentioning the desire to eliminate taxpayer funding for these entities. The discussion highlighted ongoing tensions regarding the role and funding of public media, with some Republicans arguing that these organizations no longer serve the public interest in an unbiased manner. Maher and Kerger defended their organizations by emphasizing their commitment to journalistic integrity and the broad public service they provide, including educational content and local journalism.