For decades, taxpayers have been forced to fund PBS and NPR, and with them any political tilts that we disagree with.
For decades, some lawmakers have nominally agreed that taxpayers should be liberated from this unchosen obligation.
But nothing has changed.
Now, however, President Trump has issued an executive order to simply end “Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media.”
“Americans have the right to expect that if their tax dollars fund public broadcasting at all, they fund only fair, accurate, unbiased, and nonpartisan news coverage. No media outlet has a constitutional right to taxpayer subsidies.…”
I say we have a right that our tax dollars not be used at all to fund public broadcasting. And that, also contrary to the text of the order, the government is not “entitled to determine which categories of activities to subsidize.”
It should have no authority to pay for any activities unrelated to the proper functions of government.
I will, however, accept the result of the executive order, defunding of public broadcasting. If we do get this result.
“The federal funding that supports Public Media,” PBS is alerting its viewers, “is at risk of being eliminated.”
But this public media is also — and famously — supported by pledge drives and other non-governmental funding sources.
Zero public funding doesn’t mean a world without Big Bird; an absence of subsidy does not mean an absence of the MacNeil Lehrer NewsHour — or its successor show, PBS News Hour. These and many other much-loved shows might well thrive solely on voluntary funding.
“Now is a critical time to act,” urges PBS.
Yes. Tell Congress to ratify the elimination of federal funding of public media now.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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One reply on “Trump vs. Big Bird”
PBS and NPR have told us both to act against these cuts and that they receive only a very small share of their funding from the government.
As to the latter, while PBS and NPR receive on a small share of their funding directly from the federal government, they receive a great deal that has been funnelled through other institutions.
But even a dime would be too much. Taking resources forcibly from people for expressive acts as such to which they object is a violation of their rights as recognized by the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
Even when, as a juvenile, I was otherwise in favor of most of the mainstream, left-wing messages, I recognized the wrongness of making objectors pay for those messages.
As to Sesame Street, its quality declined terribly after Jim Henson died, and the project no longer warrants contributions of any sort; but the merchandise licensing brings its production company a fortune, which they would lose if they withdrew.