The federal government is $36 trillion in debt, yet we’re still spending $535 million a year on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a significant portion of which supports National Public Radio (NPR). Taxpayer dollars should be spent wisely, yet we continue subsidizing a media organization that could – and should – survive on its own.

NPR claims it receives only 1% of its budget directly from federal funding, but that’s misleading. Many of its member stations rely on CPB funding for 10-15% of their budgets, which they then use to pay NPR licensing fees. When you track the money, NPR’s overall reliance on taxpayer funds is closer to 20%. When infrastructure, border security, and essential services face budget constraints, it’s time to ask: Why are we still funding a media organization that is losing audience and no longer represents the entire public?

Taxpayer-funded journalism should serve the entire public, yet even NPR’s own insiders admit it has abandoned ideological diversity.

There was a time when public radio made sense – back in 1970, when media options were limited. NPR provided vital information in an era before 24-hour news and the internet. But in 2025, the landscape has changed. Americans have access to thousands of entertainment and news sources, podcasts, streaming platforms, and independent journalism. NPR’s audience is shrinking, down from 60 million in 2020 to 42 million in 2024.

Meanwhile, private media companies like The New York Times, Spotify, and independent podcasters have built successful, self-sustaining business models without government subsidies. NPR already generates 36% of its revenue from corporate sponsors and 30% from member station dues. It has a loyal listener base willing to contribute – so why should taxpayers continue footing the bill? Defunding NPR would force it to compete on equal footing, just like every other media outlet.

Taxpayer-funded journalism should serve the entire public, yet even NPR’s own insiders admit it has abandoned ideological diversity. Longtime NPR editor Uri Berliner recently revealed that the network has become an echo chamber, catering almost exclusively to a left-leaning audience.

Consider the evidence:

• NPR gave 25 interviews to Adam Schiff on Trump-Russia collusion, yet when the Mueller report discredited the narrative, coverage all but disappeared.

• In 2020, NPR dismissed Hunter Biden’s laptop as a “distraction,” despite its later confirmation as authentic.

• NPR repeatedly promoted the wet-market COVID origin theory, ignoring early lab-leak concerns – even when agencies like the Department of Energy later acknowledged its credibility.

Berliner also exposed NPR’s lack of political diversity, revealing that its Washington, D.C., newsroom has 87 registered Democrats and zero Republicans. A government-funded media outlet should be unbiased and represent all Americans, but NPR has actively driven away conservatives and moderates. In 2011, 26% of NPR’s audience identified as conservative. By 2023, that number had dropped to just 11%. This is not a neutral news organization; it’s a partisan one.

A government-funded media outlet should be unbiased and represent all Americans, but NPR has actively driven away conservatives and moderates.

Beyond political bias, NPR has also failed to reach diverse audiences:

• Only 3 in 10 Americans familiar with NPR trust it as a news source.

• Black and Hispanic listeners each make up just 6-7% of NPR’s audience, despite comprising 14.4% and 19% of the U.S. population.

Even its digital platforms are struggling – podcast downloads have dropped significantly since 2020. NPR has failed to adapt to the modern media environment, yet taxpayers are expected to keep it afloat.

Some argue that rural stations, like KTOO in Alaska, which gets 30% of its budget from federal funds, would struggle without CPB grants. But states like New York already supplement public media, and private foundations (like the Ford and MacArthur Foundations) have stepped in before. A phased reduction in federal funding would give stations time to adjust.

Defunding NPR wouldn’t silence it; it would simply put it on the same playing field as every other media company. Let it earn its place in the market, not rely on taxpayers to keep it afloat.

That’s why I’m taking this fight to Alaska’s budget. If Washington won’t act, we will. We have critical priorities in our state including roads, ferries, law enforcement, and energy projects, and we can’t afford to throw money at a media outlet that fails to serve all Alaskans. The government should not be in the business of funding journalism, especially not one-sided journalism. I will push to cut state funding for NPR affiliates in Alaska, ensuring that every dollar in our budget goes toward services that benefit the people – not a media corporation that can stand on its own.

NPR is a media organization with a clear political bias, a shrinking audience, and a funding model that is no longer necessary in today’s world. The government should not be in the business of funding journalism, especially when private media outlets survive without subsidies.

Defunding NPR wouldn’t silence it; it would simply put it on the same playing field as every other media company. Let it earn its place in the market, not rely on taxpayers to keep it afloat.

The views expressed here are those of the author.

Click here to support the Alaska Watchman.