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PBS News Hour - Segments

NPR and PBS heads face sharp questioning about federal funding during House hearing

PBS News Hour - Segments

PBS NewsHour

News, Daily News

4.11K Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On Capitol Hill, the heads of America’s public media networks, PBS and NPR, faced sharp questioning by a House oversight subcommittee about allegations of bias and why their work justifies continued federal support. That support also helps fund programs like the News Hour. President Trump, Elon Musk and many Republicans have argued those funds should be completely cut. William Brangham reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Transcript

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0:00.0

On Capitol Hill today, the heads of America's public media networks, PBS and NPR, faced sharp questioning by a House Oversight Subcommittee about allegations of bias and why their work justifies continued federal support.

0:14.7

That support also helps to fund programs like the News Hour. President Trump, Elon Musk, and many in the Republican Party

0:21.5

have argued those funds should be completely cut. William Brangham has our report.

0:27.7

NPR and PBS have increasingly become radical left-wing echo chambers for a narrow audience.

0:35.8

Today's hearing was organized by subcommittee chair, Representative Marjorie Taylor Green, Republican of Georgia.

0:42.4

PBS News is not just left-leaning, but it is actively uses taxpayer funds to push some of the most radical left positions,

0:53.4

like featuring a drag queen on the show, Let's Learn.

0:58.8

Green and her fellow congressional Republicans accused PBS and NPR of having a liberal bias.

1:05.7

I don't even recognize the station anymore.

1:08.8

All things are considered, yet their history of political bias has shown that there are a number of things they have not considered.

1:14.6

The bulk of the criticism fell on NPR CEO, Catherine Marr, who acknowledged shortcomings in some of NPR's past coverage.

1:22.6

We were mistaken and failing to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story more aggressively and sooner.

1:28.8

She also expressed regret about old comments made in 2018 before she worked at NPR, where

1:35.4

she called President Trump racist.

1:37.6

I would not tweet them again today.

1:39.3

They represented at a time where I was reflecting on something that I believe that the president

1:44.0

had said rather than who he is. I don't presume that anyone is a racist. presented at a time where I was reflecting on something that I believe that the president

1:44.2

had said rather than who he is, I don't presume that anyone is a racist.

1:48.6

But Marr also defended the work of NPR, calling their journalism and varied programs

1:53.7

an essential part of a democratic society.

1:56.7

It correlates with higher rates of civic engagement, greater civic cohesion, and economic

2:01.3

advantages, such as better municipal bond ratings.

...

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