On Tuesday, three Colorado public radio stations and National Public Radio took legal action against the Trump administration in response to an executive order that sought to shut off all federal funding for NPR and PBS.
“To cease Federal funding for NPR” and other public media stations were instructed in an executive order signed earlier this month by President Donald Trump, among other federal agencies. CEO Katherine Maher moved swiftly, and NPR has pledged to fight the injunction “by all means available.”
Freedom of association, speech, and the press are all explicitly protected by the First Amendment, which the Executive Order blatantly disregards. Locally owned, nonprofit, noncommercial media institutions covering all 50 states and territories—NPR and its 246 Member stations—find this an assault to their rights. Maher made a long speech today in which he challenged the bill’s legality in the nation’s independent courts.
“Public media was established to inform the American public and uphold American democratic values,” said Maher. “The President’s Executive Order is directly counter to Congress’s long standing intent, as expressed in the Public Broadcasting Act, to foster vibrant institutions that achieve that mission, serving all Americans independent of political influence.”
When asked for response, the White House took some time to answer.
Russel Vought, White House budget director, Scott Bessent, National Endowment for the Arts head Maria Rosario Jackson, and President Trump are all named as defendants in the case.
Aspen Public Radio, Colorado Public Radio, and KSUT are all part of the lawsuit that labels Trump’s executive order as “unlawful in multiple ways.”
Moreover, according to Maher, the directive “threatens the existence of the public broadcasting system, upon which tens of millions of Americans rely” for critical information, news, and danger warnings.
No commercial radio stations, including NPR and our Member stations, have been able to have their free speech encouraged, supported, and protected by Congress in a bipartisan approach for decades. Maher stated that the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 was passed by the United States Congress. The act acknowledged the importance of free, high-quality, independent, noncommercial, and educational public radio and television programming in meeting the public’s needs and promoting civic engagement, as outlined in the First Amendment.
The Act, which allows for the production of programs that are characterized by ‘quality, variety, originality, excellence, and innovation,’ is evidence of the legislature’s vision. The NPR CEO went on to say that it laid the groundwork for a public radio system that is heard by virtually all Americans. “It provides for the resources for local newsrooms to serve their communities, children’s shows that educate and inspire, arts and cultural programming that preserves and celebrates national heritage, and storytelling that challenges and connects.”
Maher pointed out that Trump “has repeatedly expressed his disapproval of editorial decisions reflected in programming offered by NPR and PBS,” together with “disparaged NPR’s news and other content as ‘left-wing propaganda.’”
To add to his earlier remarks expressing his displeasure with NPR’s news reporting and editorial decisions, the president has now issued an executive order claiming that the station’s coverage is not “fair, accurate, or unbiased.” According to Maher, the President’s disdain of NPR’s journalism and other programs is the evident motivation for the executive order.
In direct opposition to the First Amendment, this is viewpoint-based discrimination that is retaliatory. “The government does not have the right to determine what counts as ‘biased,'” she added, citing other Supreme Court rulings over the previous 80 years.”NPR will never agree to this infringement of our constitutional rights, or the constitutional rights of our Member stations, and NPR will not compromise our commitment to an independent free press and journalistic integrity.”
“The executive order seeks to force NPR to adapt its journalistic standards and editorial choices to the preferences of the government if it is to continue to receive federal funding,” Maher said, adding that NPR has a First Amendment right to be “free from government attempts to control private speech as well as from retaliation aimed at punishing and chilling protected speech.”
Maher has always said that NPR is “a non-partisan news organization that adheres to and upholds the highest standards of public service in journalism” as well as “ensures the integrity of its reporting through multiple, rigorous safeguards.”
“We stand for constitutional rights, a free press, and an informed public, and we file today on their behalf,” added Maher.
National Public Radio is requesting that the Trump executive order be declared illegal and unconstitutional, in addition to reasonable expenses, legal fees, and “any other relief that the Court deems just and proper.”
