Lawmakers Clash Over Bias Claims as NPR and PBS Fight to Preserve Federal Support
On Wednesday, NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger faced intense questioning and criticism during a contentious House DOGE subcommittee hearing titled “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the Heads of NPR and PBS Accountable.” Chaired by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), the session zeroed in on allegations of partisan bias and questioned the justification for federal funding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports NPR, PBS, and their vast network of local stations.
The hearing erupted as lawmakers accused NPR and PBS of serving as “propaganda wings” for the Democratic Party.
Rep. Pat Fallon Delivers Data Driven Analysis
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) delivered some of the hearing’s sharpest exchanges, grilling both CEOs on specific examples of alleged bias. “In 2020, NPR branded Hunter Biden’s laptop story a ‘waste of time,’” Fallon said. “Do you know how many times NPR interviewed Adam Schiff about the Russia Collusion hoax?” When Maher responded, “I don’t know,” Fallon supplied the answer: “25 times.” He then asked how often NPR interviewed Rep. James Comer about the Biden impeachment inquiry. Maher again drew a blank, to which Fallon retorted, “Zero times. 25 to 0.” Turning to PBS, Fallon cited a Media Research Center study showing that between June and November 2023, PBS’s News Hour used “far-right” 162 times but “far-left” only 6 times—a 96% to 4% skew. He also pointed to PBS’s 2024 convention coverage, noting that 72% of GOP coverage was negative, while 88% of DNC coverage was positive, with one anchor describing the Republican convention as “outright racism” and “echoing white supremacy.”
Fallon didn’t hold back on Maher’s past statements, quoting her calling former President Trump a “deranged racist sociopath” and saying “America is addicted to white supremacy.” “Billions of taxpayer dollars have gone into both of your coffers over the last few decades,” he charged. “I understand why Democrats will viciously defend you—you’ve become a propaganda wing of the Democratic Party.”
Rep. Gill Grills Maher
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) set the tone, calling out Maher for apparent contradictions and questioning her current views. Maher responded saying her views have evolved over the last ten years. Still Gill pressed her, writing later, “Radical leftist NPR CEO Katherine Maher claims she never read ‘The Case for Reparations,’ yet publicly tweeted about reading it,” Gill posted on X. “Was she lying then or is she lying now?”
Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.) piled on, highlighting Maher’s admission that all 87 members of NPR’s editorial board are registered Democrats, with zero Republicans. “NPR’s blatant partisan imbalance is unacceptable—taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for a one-sided echo chamber,” Timmons declared. Social media commentary amplified the critique, with @amuse posting, “STATE FUNDED MEDIA: NPR’s CEO Katherine Maher explained in a TED Talk, ‘Truth is a distraction from getting things done.’ She didn’t realize 100% of NPR’s editorial staff were Democrats and has never seen any bias in the newsroom.” Prior to her role at NPR, Maher was an executive at Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. Maher also sits on the board of Signal.
Maher and Kerger fought to counter the narrative. Maher conceded that the all-Democrat newsroom was “very concerning” but insisted NPR’s journalists “work to be non-biased every day.” She acknowledged past missteps, like the delayed Hunter Biden laptop coverage, but defended NPR’s mission to serve all communities. “As a recipient of federal funds, it’s our responsibility to answer legitimate questions about why public funds should support this work,” she said. Kerger emphasized PBS’s broad reach, particularly in rural areas, saying, “There’s nothing more American than PBS.” When pressed on the data, she responded cautiously, “I want to see how they did that analysis.”
$535M in Taxpayer Funds
The CPB’s $535 million 2025 appropriation—supports over 1,500 public stations nationwide, though NPR and PBS still rely heavily on private funding. Ed Ulman of Alaska Public Media warned that cuts would cripple rural stations providing emergency alerts and local news. Democrats, meanwhile, decried the hearing as a witch hunt. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) called it “shameful,” and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) argued that bigger fiscal targets, like Medicare Advantage overcharges, deserved scrutiny instead.
Greene and Comer pushed for total defunding, with Greene railing against PBS’s airing of a drag queen feature and NPR’s “radical left-wing” bent. With President Trump and allies like Elon Musk backing cuts, and bills like the “No Propaganda Act” in play, the stakes are high. For now, NPR and PBS advocates argue that $1.60 per American annually is a small price for a vital public service—but the data is in, and PBS and NPR have been found wanting.
