Cruz Calls for Defunding NPR After Veteran Editor’s Bias Allegations

The conservative push to defund National Public Radio (NPR) gained momentum last week after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) highlighted a veteran NPR editor’s claims of the media outlet’s liberal and Democratic political bias. Cruz discussed Uri Berliner’s explosive op-ed in The Free Press during an episode of his podcast “The Verdict” which detailed NPR’s alleged progressive shift and its influence on news coverage particularly in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election.

Berliner a 25-year NPR veteran revealed that the organization has increasingly aligned with far-left ideologies leading many conservatives to believe that the network was actively working against then-President Donald Trump. He criticized NPR’s coverage of the Trump-Russia collusion story and its dismissal of the Hunter Biden laptop story as a “distraction.”

Cruz emphasized the need to reconsider the public funding model for NPR asking “Why should taxpayer dollars support a platform that no longer represents a broad spectrum of Americans?” He cited statistics showing that the percentage of NPR’s conservative audience has dwindled from 26% in 2011 to just 11% in 2023.

Media Research Center’s Newsbusters executive editor Tim Graham echoed Cruz’s sentiment stating “It’s unfair really for them to take my tax dollars and slap me in the face with it.” He argued that using public funds to support media outlets catering to a narrow segment of the population is particularly problematic.

Despite House Republicans’ efforts to cut NPR’s funding in the 2024 government spending bill the provision was ultimately restored in the final version signed into law due to compromises made with Democrats. This outcome has left many conservatives feeling unrepresented by the GOP.

As the media landscape continues to shift towards advocacy journalism conservatives argue that public funds should not be used to support outlets that predominantly cater to a specific political ideology.

The allegations of NPR’s increasing left-wing bias and apparent favoritism towards the Democratic Party have further eroded confidence in the organization’s ability to maintain journalistic integrity while receiving federal funding.

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