I’m writing to express my deep concern about any efforts to claw back or eliminate funding for public media, including NPR and PBS. Plus excellent national news, like “60 Minutes” and “Sunday Morning” (CBS). These institutions represent some of the last remaining sources of fact-based, educational and civic-minded journalism available to Americans, especially in rural, underserved, and lower-income communities.
It is disturbing to witness the dismantling of these trusted public resources while social media giants, with little to no obligation to the truth, are left to operate unchecked. These platforms often spread innuendo, conspiracy, and hearsay with no editorial standards, accountability, or public oversight. In contrast, public broadcasters are transparent, rigorously sourced, and deeply rooted in the public interest.
I’m especially watching decisions around the so-called “big bill,” which seems to benefit corporate and high-income interests while threatening the institutions that serve everyday Americans. If the bill includes clawbacks from public media, I urge you to oppose those provisions in the strongest terms.
NPR and PBS are not partisan luxuries — they are essential tools for education, democracy, and local culture. Defunding them weakens our national conversation and leaves us more vulnerable to propaganda and disinformation.
Please stand up for public broadcasting. Do not allow this administration — or any political agenda — to dismantle what millions of Americans depend on for trusted, factual information.
Craig Dunford, Salt Lake City