Congressional Republicans were caught up in PBS and NPR on Wednesday, denounced the nation's largest public media network at a fiery hearing at a fiery hearing by allies near the Trump administration representing the latest Salvo to the US media.
Marjorie Taylor Green, the leader of Georgia Republican, who organized the hearing she called “anti-American radio,” seduced PBS and NPR as “radical left-wing echo chambers,” published distorted news reports with LGBTQ programming, and announced the children wearing children.
Both PBS and NPR leaders testified that these claims were not true, and argued that even if NPR CEO admitted that he regretted posting important remarks about President Trump about him, their stations served as an important source of accurate information and educational programming for millions of Americans.
Members of the Democratic committee foxed the lawsuit as a sarcastic excuse by Republicans to air a familiar list of complaints about news media. Several Democrats have tried to shift their focus to the Trump administration, citing revelations that misexecute Atlantic editors in group chats planning military operations.
Massachusetts Democrat leader Stephen Lynch said he hopes Republican lawmakers will chase the birds bigger than President Trump. “If the shame was still something, this hearing would be shameful,” he said.
The hearing, organized by a new Congressional Subcommittee that provides government efficiency, represents another front in a surprising and relentless attack on the news media led by the Trump administration and its allies.
The White House has banned Associated Press from participating in certain events. They broke tradition by hand selecting media that could participate in the presidential pool and tried to dismantle the federal agency that oversees the voice of America. The Federal Communications Commission questioned the objectivity of major press agencies and ordered an investigation into PBS and NPR.
Public broadcasters, and the federal funds supporting them, have been targeted by Republican lawmakers for decades. In 1969, “Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood” star Fred Rogers testified before Congress about the protests of cuts proposed by the Nixon administration.
On Wednesday, NPR and PBS CEOs defended programming and value to listeners and audiences. They highlighted community journalism covering local sports teams and crop prices – often in rural areas where there are few other broadcasters – highlighting beloved children's shows like “Clifford the Big Red Dog” and “Curious George.”
“There's nothing more American than PBS,” said Paula Kerger, PBS CEO.
Greene took an antagonistic attitude from the start. She grilled NPR CEO Katherine Maher about a social media post she wrote before she became the leader of public radio networks, describing Trump as “racist” and “sociopath.” Maher said she regretted those posts and didn't write them today. “They represented a time when the president reflected what he said, not who he was,” she said.
Greene also reiterated the claims that journalists from both broadcasters underestimated the story about what Hunter Biden's laptop is about during the 2020 campaign. “Our current editorial leadership thinks it's a mistake,” said Maher, who didn't run NPR at the time.
The Republican also cited the experience of veteran NPR business editor Uli Berliner, who claimed his organization was instilled in liberal bias in an essay last year. The essay, published by the Free Press, has become the cry of a conservative rally seeking to strip the Federal Fund broadcaster. Berliner later resigned.
Asked on Wednesday how he felt about the hearing that day, Berliner said, “I don't think we should pay back the NPR, but I think it should turn down federal support and openly acknowledge and accept its progressive orientation.”
The hearing shattered violently between Democrats expressing enthusiastic support and smug declarations of child programming by Republicans about the “propaganda” and the “communist agenda,” which Greene has been superficially supported by the public media who accused Green of “grooming children.” However, there was a light moment.
Rep. Greg Cassal, a Texas Democrat, had signs that read, “Fire Elon, save Elmo.”
At another point, Rep. Robert Garcia, a Demo from California, ironically asked Karger if Elmo was a member of the Communist Party. (“Well, he's a puppet,” she replied. “But,” she replied.) Garcia also asked whether the two characters from “Sesame Street,” Burt and Ernie, are part of the “Extreme Gay Agenda,” and Cookie Monster, a character from “Sesame Street,” would “silence the Pro-Cookie vote.”
“Cookies are sometimes food,” replied Mr. Karger.
Rep. James Kommer, a Kentucky Republican, recalled relying on his youth on local public radio to rely on the news while working as a farmer in his state's rural areas. But today he said, “I don't recognize NPR anymore.” He asked why public media deserves the same level of government funding given the large number of digital news outlets available to Americans, regardless of where they live.
Government-backed businesses for public broadcasting received $535 million in public funds this year. Most of that money is spent on public radio and television stations across the country, with a small portion going directly to NPR and PBS. Maher said the NPR has produced “fair, nonpartisan, fact-based reporting” and has 43 million users nationwide. Mr. Karger described PBS, its programming and local news coverage as part of the community fabric.
The Pew Research Center said Monday that this month's survey showed that 43% of adults believe NPR and PBS should receive federal funds. 24% said Congress should remove these funds. And 33% said they didn't know.
Towards the end of the hearing, Rep. Locanna, a Democrat from California, cited Rogers' testimony before Congress, arguing that quality education programming is a cause that should transcend political differences.
“Rogers understood that we were forgetting in this country,” Kanna said. “Some things are more valuable than money when the country is polarized. I wish there was a little more empathy and compassion, but that's not a partisan issue.”
Robert Draper contributed the report.
