Upstate Rep. Claudia Tenney announced a bill Friday that would bar further federal funding to National Public Radio following controversy after a veteran editor accused the station of left-wing bias.
The Tenney Funds Exemption NPR Act of 2024 provides that taxpayer funds cannot be transferred “directly or indirectly” to wireless networks.
“American taxpayers should not be forced to fund NPR, which has become a partisan propaganda machine,” Tenney (R-N.Y.) told the Post in a statement.
“As a former newspaper owner and publisher, I understand the importance of nonpartisan and balanced media coverage and have seen the left-wing bias in the news media firsthand.”
The latest NPR controversy exploded on April 9, when longtime business editor Uli Berlina wrote a blistering essay for the magazine. free press About his employer.
“The open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and as expected, we now do not have an audience that reflects America,” he wrote.
NPR announced Tuesday that Berliner had been suspended and would resign the next day.
“I do not support calls to defund NPR,” Berliner said in a statement. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and want NPR to thrive and do important journalism.”
But, Berliner continued, “I cannot work in a newsroom where the new CEO despises the divisive opinions that support the very NPR issues I cited in my Free Press essay.”
CEO Katherine Maher, who called Berliner’s criticism “extremely disrespectful, hurtful and humiliating,” has since faced criticism for her own views.
Most notably, in an interview that resurfaced this week, Ma said he disagreed with the “free and open” spirit of his previous job as CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation. This is because it is based on the “Westernized structure of white men,” which led to the “exclusion of white men.” Community and language. ”
Meanwhile, in 2021, Maher argued that constitutional amendments are being made because protected speech makes it “difficult” to suppress “bad information” and “influencing the peddlers who have created a real market economy.” He said he considers Article 1 to be the “biggest challenge” to his job. that. “
“These disturbing reports from NPR confirm what many have known for a long time,” Tenney said. “NPR uses American taxpayer dollars to manipulate the news and lie to the American people for political purposes.
“It’s past time for the American people to stop paying for NPR and the partisan left-wing activists who control it.”
During fiscal year 2022, NPR reported total revenue of $309 million. According to financial statements. NPR estimates that on average Approximately 1% of the budget It comes from government subsidies.
Much of it is provided by the federally supported Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 2024/2026 request It sought $127.94 million in grants for public radio stations.
Mr. Tenney’s bill would require CPB to return that money to the government to help reduce the federal deficit.
Tenney’s parents and grandparents founded two free community newspapers in central New York. according to Go to her parliamentary webpage. In 1997, the future congressman formed Tenney Media Group as an umbrella company, which was sold to Gannett in 2004.
NPR did not respond to a request for comment. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is eyeing a similar bill that would strip the funding away.
