G.O.P. Lawmakers Grill PBS and NPR

The chief executives of National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)—Katherine Maher (above right) and Paula Kerger, respectively—testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), a part of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. The hearing was chaired by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). The stated purpose was to scrutinize the federal funding of NPR and PBS, with the subcommittee questioning whether taxpayer money should continue to support these public broadcasters, alleging biased and partisan coverage.

Katherine Maher, NPR’s President and CEO since March 2024, and Paula Kerger, PBS’s President and CEO since 2006, faced a Republican-led panel intent on challenging the networks’ editorial integrity and public value. The DOGE Subcommittee, inspired by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative, framed the hearing as an effort to address “systemically biased news coverage” and assess whether NPR and PBS serve all Americans or a narrow, elitist audience. Greene, in her opening remarks, accused the networks of being “radical left-wing echo chambers” that suppress conservative perspectives and push progressive agendas, citing examples like their handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story and COVID-19 origins.

Here are 4 takeaways from the hearing:

• Republicans say they've lost trust in NPR and PBS to provide balanced coverage.
• Public criticism from a former NPR editor acted as a blueprint for Republicans.
• Democrats say Republicans are trying to distract from real news and shut down contrary opinions.
• Lawmakers heard that public broadcasting is the only source of news and emergency broadcasts in some parts of the country.

Maher defended NPR’s mission, emphasizing its reach of 43 million weekly listeners across diverse communities and its role in providing fact-based, nonpartisan journalism. She highlighted that NPR receives only about 1% of its $300 million budget directly from federal sources, though member stations, funded partly by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), contribute indirectly via programming fees. Kerger underscored PBS’s educational and cultural contributions, noting its 16% reliance on CPB funds and its service to rural and underserved areas, including emergency alert systems. Both leaders argued that public broadcasting’s value lies in its accessibility and local impact, supported by polling showing 60% of Americans trust it.

NPR on Wednesday finally admitted that it made a mistake in failing to promptly cover the Hunter Biden laptop scandal — as the left-leaning broadcaster fights to keep its federal funding. The mea culpa by NPR’s chief executive Katherine Maher came during intense questioning from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and other Republican legislators during a congressional subcommittee hearing regarding the broadcaster’s perceived bias in its coverage. “I do want to say that NPR acknowledges we were mistaken in failing to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story more aggressively or sooner,” Maher told the committee.

Republican lawmakers, including Greene and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), pressed on perceived liberal bias, referencing a 2024 essay by former NPR editor Uri Berliner, who claimed NPR’s staff skewed heavily Democratic (87 registered Democrats, zero Republicans in D.C. editorial roles, per his count). Maher countered that NPR doesn’t track voter affiliations and focuses on editorial firewalls to ensure impartiality. Democrats, like Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), mocked the hearing as political theater, sarcastically lamenting attacks on “Elmo and Cookie Monster” while pointing to broader Trump administration media controversies.

The hearing reflects a long-standing Republican push to defund the CPB, which received $535 million in fiscal year 2025, with 70% going to local stations. No immediate funding decisions emerged, but the event, livestreamed on platforms like YouTube, intensified debates over public media’s role in a polarized landscape, especially as NPR and PBS adapt to digital competition and shifting audience habits.