{"id":9668,"date":"2025-05-27T10:07:42","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T14:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greatamericanewsdesk.com\/?p=9668"},"modified":"2025-05-27T10:07:42","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T14:07:42","slug":"npr-public-radio-stations-sue-trump-over-unconstitutional-defunding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greatamericanewsdesk.com\/media\/npr-public-radio-stations-sue-trump-over-unconstitutional-defunding\/njackson\/2025\/05\/","title":{"rendered":"NPR, Public Radio Stations Sue Trump Over ‘Unconstitutional’ Defunding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NPR and three Colorado public radio stations have sued President\u00a0Donald Trump\u00a0and his administration over an executive order\u00a0stripping away public funds\u00a0for NPR and PBS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President\u00a0Donald Trump\u00a0signed an executive order earlier this month instructing the\u00a0Corporation for Public Broadcasting\u00a0and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR” and other public media outlets. NPR has vowed to challenge the order “by all means available,”\u00a0and CEO Katherine Maher took action.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The radio stations joining NPR in the suit are Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio, and KSUT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Executive Order is a clear violation of the Constitution and the First Amendment’s protections for freedom of speech and association, and freedom of the press. It is an affront to the rights of NPR and NPR’s 246 Member stations, which are locally owned, nonprofit, noncommercial media organizations serving all 50 states and territories. Today, we challenge its constitutionality in the nation’s independent courts,” Maher said in a lengthy statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Public media was established to inform the American public and uphold American democratic values,” Maher continued. “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.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The lawsuit names White House budget director Russel Vought, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and National Endowment for the Arts chair Maria Rosario Jackson as defendants, along with President Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maher said Trump “has repeatedly expressed his disapproval of editorial decisions reflected in programming offered by NPR and PBS,” and “disparaged NPR’s news and other content as \u2018left-wing propaganda.\u2019”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“His Executive Order states that our coverage is not \u2018fair, accurate, or unbiased,\u2019 building on prior statements making clear the President’s disapproval of NPR’s news coverage and editorial choices. The intent could not be more clear \u2014 the Executive Order aims to punish NPR for the content of news and other programming the President dislikes,” Maher said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This is retaliatory, viewpoint-based discrimination in violation of the First Amendment. The Supreme Court<\/a> has ruled numerous times over the past 80 years that the government does not have the right to determine what counts as \u2018biased,\u2019” she continued.” 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.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Maher said NPR has a\u00a0First Amendment<\/a>\u00a0right to be “free from government attempts to control private speech as well as from retaliation aimed at punishing and chilling protected speech,” and believes 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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NPR is asking for Trump\u2019s executive order to be deemed unlawful and unconstitutional, along with reasonable costs, attorney\u2019s fees and “any other relief that the Court deems just and proper.”
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