NPR argues for media right to taxpayer funding

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President Donald Trump’s order cutting funding for media outlets violates the U.S. Constitution, National Public Radio (NPR) said in a lawsuit filed on May 27.

The suit was filed in federal court in Washington.

The White House, the Department of the Treasury, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump’s May 1 order directed the corporation, a nonprofit established by Congress in 1967 to oversee taxpayer-funded broadcasters, to end direct funding for NPR and the Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS.

The order says that no outlets have a constitutional right to public money and that neither outlet “presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.” That’s despite the law establishing the corporation saying the entity cannot “contribute to or otherwise support any political party,” Trump wrote.

The White House has pointed to NPR articles such as one about “genderqueer dinosaur enthusiasts,” its initial refusal to report on the laptop computer owned by former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and how its CEO, Katherine Maher, has called Trump a racist.

Maher said in a statement that “we stand for constitutional rights, a free press, and an informed public, and we file today on their behalf.”

The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the order and all actions taken to implement it illegal and unconstitutional, along with an order that permanently bars defendants from implementing the order.

Maher and PBC CEO Paula Kerger defended their outlets during a March congressional hearing, telling lawmakers that they serve audiences across the political spectrum.

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