Npr Ceo Pressed On Implication That Organization Is Biased After Trump Signs Order Slashing Taxpayer Funds

NPR CEO Katherine Maher was asked to respond to nan accusation that NPR's news sum was biased, arsenic alleged successful President Donald Trump's executive bid slashing payer funding, during an question and reply connected CBS connected Sunday.

"The connection successful location says authorities backing of news media and this situation is outdated and unnecessary, corrosive to nan quality of independence, and Americans person nan correct to expect if their taxation dollars money nationalist broadcasting, that it’s fair, accurate, unbiased and nonpartisan. How do you respond to nan accusation that your news sum is not?" CBS "Face nan Nation" big Margaret Brennan asked.

Trump signed an executive bid to slash payer costs to PBS and NPR connected Thursday, 2 media outlets nan White House accused of spreading "radical woke propaganda." 

"Well, first of all, I deliberation it’s important to statement that I’m nan CEO, and we person an independent editor-in-chief who oversees nan newsroom, and truthful I don’t make editorial decisions, and that I deliberation is conscionable ever an important constituent to make, but I deliberation our newsroom would really return rumor pinch that. We person been connected aerial for much than 50 years. We've been covering news arsenic it occurs crossed nan nation, successful section communities, overseas, we person an bonzer Washington table and our group study consecutive down nan line," Maher responded.

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NPR CEO Katherine Maher joined CBS News' "Face The Nation" connected Sunday aft President Trump signed an executive bid slashing payer costs to NPR and PBS. (Screenshot/CBS)

Maher based on that NPR reporters study consecutive down nan statement pinch a request to service nan full public.

"That is nan constituent of nationalist broadcasting, arsenic we bring group together successful those conversations and, so, we person had a full big of blimpish voices connected aerial of late. We’ve been making requests of nan Trump Administration to person their officials connected air. We would for illustration to spot much group judge those invitations. It’s difficult for america to beryllium capable to opportunity we tin speak for everyone erstwhile folks won’t subordinate us," she added. 

The White House did not instantly return a petition for comment. 

NPR notably dismissed nan Hunter Biden laptop communicative successful 2020, calling nan communicative a "distraction" and a discarded of time. Maher acknowledged during a grilling connected Capitol Hill that NPR should person covered nan communicative much aggressively.

Brennan besides asked Maher really she would construe circumstantial editorial criticisms astir NPR from nan White House. Brennan said, "The White House faults your editors for avoiding nan word biologic activity erstwhile discussing transgender issues. They apparently want you to usage nan word pro-life and faulted your usage of nan word ‘anti-abortion rights’ to mention to activists."

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"I construe it arsenic trying to create a communicative astir our editorial independence," Maher responded. "I deliberation that is an affront to nan First Amendment. We person an independent newsroom, and we will ever person an independent newsroom."

Brennan pressed Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger connected whether they were pursuing lawsuits successful consequence to Trump's executive order. 

"We’re looking astatine immoderate options are disposable to us. I deliberation it’s a small preliminary for america to speak to nan circumstantial strategies that we mightiness take," Maher said. 

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Kerger responded, "We’re evidently looking, and I would conscionable say, nan Corporation for Public Broadcasting is simply a backing mechanism, but they don’t oversee PBS aliases NPR. We’re independent organizations."

The bid instructs nan Corporation for Public Broadcasting and different national agencies "to cease national backing for NPR and PBS." It further requires that they activity to guidelines retired indirect sources of nationalist financing for nan news organizations. 

Fox News' Bradford Betz contributed to this report.