Media Outlets Shouldn’t Get Public Funds, No Matter Their Political Bias
I was in middle school when our English teacher asked students where we find trustworthy news. I smugly suggested “non-biased” news publications and received a well-deserved dressing down. Didn’t I know that every publication has biases? Every editorial decision—from story selection to sources to sentence structure—inevitably reflects the writer’s preference or bias, he noted.
Point taken. I remembered that lesson when I pursued a journalism career. I’ve worked on news pages, but found opinion writing more freeing than trying to suppress my own point of view. The media have since changed dramatically, as the internet, social media, talk radio, and cable news have swamped Americans with alternative sources, thus bypassing traditional gatekeepers.
The new media environment seems more opinionated than ever, yet one old debate—dating to the Reagan administration—has come to the fore. That’s the battle over federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Founded in 1967, it provides tax funds to NPR, PBS, and their member stations. Congress recently voted to slash that $1.1 billion (over two years), which will go into effect after Donald Trump signs the budget. He previously called for such cuts.
Now that cuts are coming from Congress rather than executive order, I’m all for it—even if the president’s rationale is typically ill-tempered. An official White House statement said that the outlets “spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.'” Trump was upset by NPR’s lack of coverage of the Hunter Biden laptop scandal in the run-up to the 2024 election. His statement cherry-picked examples of “trash” news segments, including a Valentine’s Day feature on “queer animals.”
Public broadcasting supporters point to myriad noteworthy, uplifting, and unobjectionable programs, ranging from All Things Considered to Sesame Street to Planet Money, but there’s no point debating the biases of specific programming. With the exception of perhaps Car Talk, I’ve always found NPR and PBS acquired tastes that I never managed to acquire. Of course, those networks are biased. Everything is biased. In my opinion, they don’t spread radical viewpoints, but cater to the preferences of their affluent, culturally liberal listeners.
Government shouldn’t fund any media. It’s not a proper use of tax dollars. Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to fund viewpoints they abhor. Any media’s funding source obviously distorts its coverage. I once spoke to a group of reporters about a donor-funded journalism ou
Article from Reason.com
The Reason Magazine website is a go-to destination for libertarians seeking cogent analysis, investigative reporting, and thought-provoking commentary. Championing the principles of individual freedom, limited government, and free markets, the site offers a diverse range of articles, videos, and podcasts that challenge conventional wisdom and advocate for libertarian solutions. Whether you’re interested in politics, culture, or technology, Reason provides a unique lens that prioritizes liberty and rational discourse. It’s an essential resource for those who value critical thinking and nuanced debate in the pursuit of a freer society.
