NPR’s CEO admits Hunter Biden laptop story blackout was a mistake, as congressional hearings scrutinize whether taxpayers should continue funding media outlets accused of persistent left-wing bias.
Quick Takes
- NPR CEO Katherine Maher acknowledged the organization’s failure to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story during congressional testimony
- Republican lawmakers criticized NPR for multiple instances of alleged bias, including promoting a book titled “In Defense of Looting” and linking country music to racism
- The House Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency (DOGE) held hearings titled “Anti-American Airwaves” challenging both NPR and PBS executives on their content
- Critics argue that declining audience numbers and perceived liberal bias make public funding for these organizations inappropriate
- NPR executives claim they’ve implemented new editorial review processes to ensure more balanced reporting
Public Media Executives Face Congressional Grilling
NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger faced intense questioning from Republican lawmakers during a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency (DOGE). The March 2025 hearing, titled “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the heads of NPR and PBS Accountable,” centered on allegations that both taxpayer-funded media organizations consistently display left-wing bias in their reporting and programming choices. Republican members focused particularly on NPR’s decision not to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story prior to the 2020 election, a choice Maher admitted was a mistake.
Subcommittee Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene set the tone for the hearing, criticizing both organizations for what she characterized as elitist programming that fails to represent rural and conservative Americans. “The audience of public radio and television is declining. And I know this because I represent a rural district where farmers listen to podcasts and internet-based news while they drive their tractors,” Greene stated. She added that NPR and PBS “have increasingly become radical, Left-wing echo chambers for a narrow audience of mostly wealthy, white, urban liberals and progressives.”
🚨In the wake of the DOGE subcommittee hearing yesterday, Trump calls for the defunding of NPR and PBS, "IMMEDIATELY."
NPR Chief Katherine Maher is a woke radical and both orgs are leftwing propaganda mills.
Not a penny more of our tax dollars should be spent supporting them. pic.twitter.com/KTmqoKbpeg
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) March 27, 2025
Hunter Biden Laptop and Other Editorial Decisions
At the center of criticism was NPR’s handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story. When initially deciding not to cover the story in 2020, NPR Managing Editor Terence Samuel justified the decision by stating: “We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions.” This explanation has been highlighted by critics as evidence of the organization’s selective reporting based on ideological preferences rather than journalistic merit.
Republican lawmakers presented additional examples of what they consider biased reporting, including NPR’s false reporting that U.S. Park Police used tear gas on protesters outside the White House, promoting a book titled “In Defense of Looting,” and airing audio from the abortion of an 11-week-old baby. They also criticized NPR for airing a podcast linking country music to racism and for incorrect portrayals of Donald Trump Jr.’s Senate testimony, among other contentious editorial choices that critics argue reveal a pervasive left-leaning bias.
The Taxpayer Funding Debate
Michael Gonzalez from the Heritage Foundation testified that NPR and PBS consistently show “scorn for conservative views” and argued that their federal funding constitutes “a regressive tax” that forces working families to subsidize media consumed primarily by more affluent Americans. “NPR and PBS have violated the public trust, and have therefore forsaken their claim on the public money,” Gonzalez stated. He further characterized the funding as “an obnoxious forced wealth transfer from working families to the most affluent pockets of society, which constitute the lion’s share of NPR’s and PBS’s audience.”
In defense of their organizations, both Maher and Kerger emphasized their commitment to impartial reporting and public service. Maher claimed NPR has implemented new editorial review processes to ensure balanced coverage, while Kerger highlighted PBS’s role in providing local and specialized news programming. “There’s nothing more American than PBS. It’s a membership organization. Our local service is at the heart of our work,” Kerger testified. Democratic members of the subcommittee attempted to counter Republican criticisms, sometimes using humor and references to popular PBS children’s programming like Sesame Street.
The Future of Public Media Funding
The contentious hearing highlighted the growing debate about whether government funding should continue for media organizations that many conservatives believe fail to represent their viewpoints. With declining audience numbers for traditional broadcast media and increasing alternatives through podcasts, streaming services, and other digital platforms, questions persist about the necessity and appropriateness of taxpayer subsidies for NPR and PBS. As media consumption habits continue to evolve, the question of public funding for these legacy institutions remains unresolved.
