The Trump administration has dealt a major blow to public media funding in recent days. Popular institutions like the National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) have lost federal funding due to the cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It’s been a long time coming for Trump and his allies, who have long believed that the American media were forcing liberal and democratic ideologies on the public.
Despite their claims, American public media has done wonders to inform the public and increase learning and understanding among American children. These cuts will harm all the programs that many have grown up with and know and love.
That said, these federal funding cuts won’t spell the end for public media in the United States entirely. While the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is the most affected, organisations like NPR and PBS mainly survive from public support.
The livelihood of public broadcasting within America will survive so long as the public continues to support these programs. This can easily be done through donations directed to their respective websites. Other alternatives include following these programs on social media or subscribing to their respective YouTube and TikTok channels.
It is far from perfect, and things won’t likely remain the same, but as long as the public supports it, public media will stay.
