For the first time in decades, conservatives have succeeded in stripping NPR and PBS of more than a billion dollars in taxpayer funding. President Donald Trump’s rescission package passed the Senate, and for once, Washington elites were forced to respond to the values of the people who fund them.
This is not just a symbolic win. It’s a concrete step toward ending government support for media organizations that openly advocate for one side of the political spectrum. American taxpayers should not be forced to underwrite the very networks that routinely seek to discredit their beliefs.
NPR and PBS like to downplay their reliance on federal funds, claiming it's a small share of their budgets. But 15 to 20 percent of annual revenue is significant for any organization. Losing that much funding will force change—either in their programming, their business models, or both. Even local affiliates, often paraded as innocent victims during budget debates, will have to make tough decisions about their operations. This will not bankrupt them, but it will require them to compete and justify their existence.
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Some conservatives have expressed concern that this move will drive NPR and PBS deeper into the arms of wealthy progressive donors like George or Alex Soros. That may happen. But it is no worse than the current arrangement, where taxpayers are compelled to fund content that routinely disparages them. The bias cannot get worse—it is already baked into their culture.
More importantly, this defunding effort pulls the curtain back. It exposes a cozy, undemocratic relationship in which Democrats vote to increase funding for public media, and public media rewards them with favorable coverage and cultural reinforcement. That relationship has operated for decades, largely unnoticed. Now, the public is beginning to see it for what it is.
The battle isn’t over. Lobbyists for "public" broadcasting are already regrouping, and they will likely try to recover their funding through the fall appropriations process. They will flood Capitol Hill with arguments about educational value, rural access, and civic virtue. But they cannot hide from the facts. Viewership is declining. Trust is eroding. And the case for public funding has never been weaker.
At the state level, the momentum is already spreading. Lawmakers in Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, and other states have begun to sever ties with public stations that operate more like ideological nonprofits than neutral public institutions. The message is clear: the era of unaccountable taxpayer subsidies for partisan media is ending.
Technological change makes this shift even more timely. Today, nearly 45 percent of television consumption comes through streaming, surpassing both cable and traditional broadcast. Many Americans under the age of 40 do not consume legacy TV or radio at all. NPR and PBS are not only biased; they are increasingly irrelevant.
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At the Media Research Center, we have tracked this evolution for nearly four decades. From Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump, public broadcasting has used its platform to undermine conservative leaders and ideas. In 1987, PBS accused Reagan of "subverting the Constitution." In 2024, PBS covered the Republican National Convention with 72 percent negative commentary, compared to just 12 percent negative coverage for the Democrats. This is not fair journalism. It is political advocacy disguised as public service.
Even worse is the cultural activism. NPR has aired segments promoting gender theory for children, describing abortions in detail, and encouraging white listeners to reflect on the racial implications of emoji selection. These are not isolated examples. They are editorial choices that reflect a clear ideological agenda—one that should not be subsidized by taxpayers.
Throughout the defunding debate, public broadcasters used their platforms to lobby their own audiences for political action. Campaigns like "Protect My Public Media" were broadcast across NPR and PBS programming and sent through taxpayer-supported fundraising lists. Meanwhile, they refused to offer any airtime to conservative voices advocating for reform. That kind of double standard is precisely what undermines their claim to be public institutions.
This defunding victory was not inevitable. It was the result of sustained effort from a coalition of principled organizations, lawmakers, and leaders, including President Trump and OMB Director Russ Vought. It required credible research, coordinated messaging, and persistence in the face of a powerful media lobby.
But more than anything, it required political courage. President Trump made a promise to stop funding partisan propaganda, and he kept it. That promise—and the policy that followed—sent a message to the rest of the political establishment: the public is watching, and it is no longer content to fund institutions that work against its interests.
There is still work to be done. Public broadcasters will look for ways to regain their funding. Left-wing donors will try to fill the gap. And the media establishment will continue to claim neutrality while promoting one side. But this win is a turning point. The case for government-funded media is no longer accepted without question. It now requires justification.
Taxpayer-funded media should serve all Americans, or it should not be funded at all. With this vote, conservatives have made that principle matter again.
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org.