GOP senator eyes legislation to defund ‘propagandist’ NPR after suspension of whistleblower

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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is planning to suggest new legislative motion that will threaten to reduce National Public Radio’s (NPR) federal funding if handed, prompted by the information that it suspended an editor who went viral for exposing the outlet’s partisan uniformity in its newsroom.

The Tennessee Republican is weighing a spread of legislative choices to tackle federal funding that goes to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which gives funding to NPR within the kind of grants. She is particularly trying to stop NPR from benefiting from public funds, due to what her workplace characterised as left-wing bias. 

“The mainstream media has become obsessed with doing the Left’s bidding and taking down strong conservatives — and NPR has led the pack,” Blackburn mentioned in a press release to Fox News Digital. “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’.”

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn

Sen. Marsha Blackburn is trying to reduce funding to National Public Radio after an editor, who has since been suspended, revealed that its newsroom was made up virtually fully of Democrats. (Getty Images)

Blackburn beforehand seemed to sever the federal government’s funding to NPR in 2011 when she was serving within the House of Representatives. At the time, the Republican-controlled House handed a measure that sought to reduce $50 million from CPB.

“The time has come for us to claw back this money,” Blackburn reportedly mentioned on the time.

CPB is “fully funded by the federal government,” per the nonprofit’s web site. The group gives funding within the kind of grants to each NPR and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The grants to NPR are used for its worldwide bureaus and distribution infrastructure that gives content material to all public radio stations. 

NPR veteran editor Uri Berliner was just lately suspended with out pay from NPR following his public criticism of his employer. The suspension was made public on Tuesday however started final Friday, in accordance to NPR media reporter David Folkenflik. The group reportedly instructed Berliner on Thursday that his punishment was a ultimate warning, and that if he violated NPR’s coverage on staff in search of approval to do work for different information outlet, he could be fired.

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Uri Berliner

Berliner mentioned he revealed the essay after a number of makes an attempt to voice issues to management privately. (JP Yim/Wire Image)

“I love NPR and feel it’s a national trust,” Berliner mentioned in an interview with Folkenflik. “We have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they’re capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners.”

The senior NPR enterprise editor mentioned he made a number of makes an attempt to relay his issues earlier than selecting to publish an essay within the Free Press, however they weren’t heard by the group’s management.

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NPR

NPR pushed again on issues over ideological imbalance in its newsroom. (Getty Images)

In Berliner’s scathing overview of his employer’s ideological homogeneity, he revealed that there have been “87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions” on the Washington, D.C., headquarters “and zero Republicans. None.”

He mentioned that such a lack of viewpoint variety seeped into the outlet’s protection, criticizing NPR’s strategy to a spread of outstanding tales over time, together with allegations that former President Trump colluded with Russia within the 2016 election, the laptop computer belonging to President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and the speculation that COVID-19 was triggered by a lab leak in China.

A spokesperson for Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, mentioned that he’s additionally making an attempt to advance legislation within the House to defund NPR that he has launched on a number of events, together with the present Congress.

Jackson is actively in search of extra co-sponsors for his invoice and is pushing House management to take into account it within the wake of current occasions.

Rep. Ronny Jackson

Jackson has been pursuing NPR defunding since 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg through Getty Images)

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., equally instructed Fox News Digital in a press release, “I think Congress should exercise oversight of NPR, especially in light of the recent whistleblower’s allegations and subsequent suspension.”

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“Taxpayers fund NPR, and it should be a source that provides a truly neutral and balanced perspective,” he mentioned. “That can only be achieved through a politically diverse staff, otherwise, it is nothing more than a propaganda machine for the Democrat party.”

“Sen. Cassidy was clear that Congress should end public funding for NPR,” a spokesperson for Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., mentioned in a press release. “Our office is exploring options to do so.” 

NPR didn’t present remark in time for publication.



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