Study shows Americans trust PBS precisely because it’s publicly funded
On May 2, President Trump signed the executive order ordering CPB to halt all funding to PBS and NPR local stations. The justifications for this unprecedented action included the vast array of content available on multiple digital platforms and accusations of bias within public broadcasting’s newsgathering efforts and reportage.
Trump stated that CPB has violated its mandate of not endorsing “any political party.” Regarding PBS and NPR, he declared: “Neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.” The executive order portends to be politically neutral in stating that “which viewpoints NPR and PBS promote does not matter,” yet a corresponding article from the White House chastised both public broadcasters for “spread[ing] radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”
Related Knowledge Center: The White House vs. the press
Whether it’s the Des Moines Register’s publication of an unfavorable election poll, a routine edit of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, or the Associated Press’s decision in its authoritative stylebook to continue to use “Gulf of Mexico,” Donald Trump and the White House have used executive authority and legal reprisals in an effort to punish and suppress press coverage that runs contrary to the administration’s preferred narratives.
Democracy and politics | Signalgate | The CBS submission | Voiceless America
Related Knowledge Center: Free speech and public protest
The First Amendment is facing challenging times: Crackdowns on campus protests prompted both-sides claims of intolerance. Attempts to head off dangerous health misinformation have been characterized as violations of free speech. Donald Trump is publicly punishing news outlets that deviate from his administration’s version of events while privately suing some outlets into submission.
The White House vs. the press | Voiceless America
Related Knowledge Center: State of the business model
The traditional journalism business model has long since collapsed, and news organizations have shrunk or disappeared entirely. While a number of promising experiments are under way, the public has not shown a willingness to buy what news organizations are selling.