NPR CEO says she wants 'active and robust debate' amid formerly-suspended editor's resignation
Independent Women's Forum fellow Beverly Hallberg joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the scandal embroiling publicly-funded NPR after veteran editor Uri Berliner, who was formerly suspended, resigned from this job.
EXCLUSIVE - Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, sent a scathing letter to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) grilling the nonprofit that distributes federal funding to scandal-plagued NPR.
"I write today to express deep concern about National Public Radio’s (NPR) departure from its stated mission 'to create a more informed public' and to ‘distribute programming that meets the highest standards of public service in journalism,'" Cruz began his letter to CPB president and CEO Patricia de Stacy Harrison on Thursday. "NPR markets itself as a longstanding beacon of independent journalism, which is a critical component in fostering an informed and engaged public. Yet recent developments reveal a deeply entrenched culture of political bias and partisanship that stands directly at odds with the purported mission of this taxpayer-funded media organization."
The letter, first obtained by Fox News Digital, outlined the findings from the bombshell essay penned by ousted NPR editor Uri Berliner, who exposed the far-left ideological takeover of NPR's newsroom.
KATHERINE MAHER'S PAST POLITICAL ACTIVITY FLIES IN THE FACE OF NPR'S ETHICS HANDBOOK
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, sent a scathing letter to the Corporation of Public Broadcasting over veteran editor Uri Berliner's bombshell essay. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
"NPR’s persistent refusal to acknowledge its myriad journalistic errors, much less correct them, reveals a deep-seated partisanship. It also eviscerates the foundational trust and integrity expected of a public broadcaster," Cruz wrote, later adding, "This partisanship is all the more concerning because NPR benefits from federal funding allocated through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Such funding obligates NPR to a higher standard of journalistic integrity that represents the American public’s diverse perspectives. Unfortunately, NPR’s current trajectory signifies a stark deviation from these principles, facilitated by an internal culture that stifles viewpoint diversity, as well as management with a history of overt partisanship."
Cruz, the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, went on to slam the "unapologetic partisanship" of NPR's new CEO Katherine Maher, whose resurfaced social media posts displayed a history of Democratic activism and promoting woke ideologies.
"As a private citizen, Ms. Maher is entitled to be an angry, Left-wing radical, but it is not clear why the American taxpayer should fund her partisan propaganda," Cruz said.
He later continued, "By continuing to allocate funding to NPR, the CPB is complicit in perpetuating political bias and misinforming the American public at taxpayer expense."
NPR EDITOR REBUKES OWN OUTLET'S COVERAGE OF HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP, COVID LAB LEAK AND RUSSIAGATE
NPR and its CEO Katherine Maher have been under intense scrutiny following the bombshell essay penned by ousted award-winning NPR editor Uri Berliner. (Getty Images)
Cruz sent Harrison a series of questions which included the following:
"How does CPB justify continued funding for NPR when documented evidence shows a deep-seated culture of partisanship that contradicts the requirement for balanced and fair reporting?"
"When did the CPB learn about the ratio between registered Republicans and registered Democrats serving as editors for NPR?"
"Please detail what steps, if any, the CPB has taken to audit NPR’s adherence to the standards expected of a recipient of federal funding, especially in light of recent exposures. If the CPB has taken no steps, why has it not? If the CPB claims to lack sufficient authority to audit the organizations it funds, what steps will it take to increase its auditing capacities?"
"How much funding per year did CPB provide directly to NPR each year during the last 10 years? What percent of NPR’s total annual budget does this constitute?"
The senator also requested copies of "all of Maher’s emails, both sent and received, during her employment at NPR," giving Harrison a May 9 deadline to address all his inquiries.
"Given the serious allegations and the corroborating evidence presented, I urge the CPB to either implement corrective measures or reassess NPR’s funding," Cruz told Harrison. "Should these significant issues remain unaddressed, I am prepared to pursue further action regarding distributing federal funds to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or other appropriate legislation. Given Ms. Maher’s demonstrated history of partisan bias, if it hopes to continue receiving public funds, NPR should terminate her immediately as CEO. This situation demands immediate attention to restore the integrity of public broadcasting funding."
Patricia de Stacy Harrison (R), president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), has until May 9 to address Cruz's inquiries. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
The CPB confirmed to Fox News Digital it received Cruz's letter and will "reply in a timely manner."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
CPB, which distributes federal funding to both NPR and PBS, was granted $525 million in advanced funding for 2024. CPB was created out of the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act to disburse federal grants to public broadcasters around the country. NPR has insisted it receives "less than 1 percent of its $300 million annual budget" from the federally funded CPB, but a deep dive into the data shows CPB funds smaller stations that funnel cash to NPR.
Berliner, a 25-year award-winning veteran, put a spotlight on the left-wing takeover of NPR in a piece published in The Free Press, calling out how its coverage was tainted by politics in the Trump era. He was initially placed on a five-day unpaid suspension for violating its policy on seeking NPR's permission before appearing on a different news platform. Berliner ultimately resigned.
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox