In a recent appearance on CBS’s *Face the Nation*, NPR CEO Katherine Maher fiercely defended her network’s allegedly “unbiased” news coverage in response to President Trump’s criticism and his executive order cutting taxpayer funding to the left-leaning broadcaster. Maher, whose remarks were widely seen as a desperate attempt to deflect from NPR’s long-standing bias, used the segment to paint herself as a defender of journalistic integrity while attacking the president and his administration.
For context, President Trump has been a vocal critic of NPR for years, citing the network’s consistent liberal slant. On multiple occasions, Trump has called out NPR for its wasteful taxpayer funding and lack of objectivity. During a public speech, Trump remarked, “We’re well covered. Look at all the people that we have here today. We’re well covered, and we don’t need it. It’s a waste of money.”
In the *Face the Nation* interview, host Margaret Brennan asked Maher to respond to the president’s criticisms, particularly the executive order targeting government-funded media. Brennan questioned the legitimacy of NPR’s taxpayer funding, suggesting that if Americans are footing the bill, they have a right to expect fair, unbiased news coverage. “How do you respond to the implication that your news coverage is not unbiased?” Brennan asked.
Maher’s response was a masterclass in evasion. Instead of addressing the heart of the matter, she deflected, turning the conversation toward her role as CEO and distancing herself from editorial decisions. “Well, first of all, I think it’s important to note that I’m the CEO, and we have an independent editor-in-chief who oversees the newsroom,” Maher said, before awkwardly adding, “Our newsroom would really take issue with that.”
But Maher’s claim of neutrality falls flat when examined in light of NPR’s editorial history, which has consistently leaned left. She then went on to assert that NPR’s track record of “50 years” of reporting is evidence of its journalistic integrity. However, she failed to address the broader issue that NPR has often been criticized for its clear liberal bias, which undermines the idea that its coverage is “fair” and “nonpartisan.”
Finally, Maher touched on the president’s criticisms, but in a typical deflection, she pivoted to NPR’s alleged efforts to include conservative voices. “We’ve had a whole host of conservative voices on air of late,” Maher claimed, which is a stretch considering NPR’s well-known history of promoting progressive viewpoints while marginalizing conservative perspectives. Maher also mentioned that NPR had “made requests of the Trump administration to have their officials on air” but lamented that many Republicans had declined.
Maher also touched on the administration’s criticisms of NPR’s editorial choices, such as its refusal to use the term “biological sex” and its labeling of anti-abortion activists as “anti-abortion rights.” These editorial decisions reveal NPR’s clear left-wing slant on issues related to gender and abortion, further fueling accusations of bias.
In conclusion, Maher wrapped up her defense with an empty statement about the First Amendment and NPR’s supposed commitment to journalistic independence. “I think that is an affront to the First Amendment,” she said, a claim that rings hollow in the face of repeated evidence of NPR’s political leanings.
While Maher’s deflections and weak rebuttals may satisfy some on the left, they fail to address the core issue: NPR’s reliance on taxpayer dollars to fund a media outlet that consistently pushes a progressive agenda. Trump’s executive order to cut government funding to NPR is a necessary step in ensuring that taxpayer money isn’t used to prop up a biased, left-leaning media organization. The American people deserve unbiased news coverage, not a government-subsidized propaganda machine.
