• NPR
• Radio Public
• Trump Administration

NPR SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER ATTEMPT TO DEFUND PUBLIC RADIO

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  CapitalTimesNews / 2 weeks
• 0
• 2 min read

National Public Radio (NPR) has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that President Trump’s attempt to defund the network is a clear violation of the Constitution. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, DC, claims that Trump’s maneuvers against NPR violate the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of association. The lawsuit highlights the local impacts of taxpayer-funded media, with several NPR member stations from Colorado joining the national network in filing the suit. Trump’s executive order on May 1 targeted both NPR and PBS, accusing the public media outfits of bias. The White House has reiterated its claims of bias, saying the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is creating media to support a particular political party on the taxpayers’ dime. However, public media executives say the White House is grossly mischaracterizing what NPR and PBS do. Theodore Boutrous, one of the veteran attorneys representing NPR in the suit, described Trump’s move as “pure viewpoint discrimination.” He added that the 1967 law creating public broadcasting was clearly meant to insulate the networks from precisely this type of political coercion. The CPB has filed its own lawsuit against the president’s attempt to fire three of its board members. Each year, the CPB disburses $535 million in taxpayer funds to public radio and TV stations nationwide and to producers of educational and cultural programming. Stations, in turn, provide free and universal access to news, emergency alerts, and a wide array of programming. NPR charges that Trump is usurping Congress, which allocated funds for public radio and TV as recently as March in a bill that Trump signed into law. “The White House is grossly mischaracterizing what NPR and PBS do,” Boutrous said, adding that the defunding order is “textbook retaliation” for the network’s perceived point of view. PBS has also been preparing to take legal action but has not yet filed suit. “PBS is considering every option, including taking legal action, to allow our organization to continue to provide essential programming and services to member stations and all Americans,” the network said.