The recent executive order ordering the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to defund NPR and PBS threatens to silence vital lifelines for rural America. In remote communities, public broadcasters are often the only reliable source of information during disasters, especially when cell towers fail and power lines go down. 📻 Without federal support, many local stations could be forced to cut services or shut down, leaving communities without trusted sources for community news and emergency alerts. Stations like KRTS Marfa Public Radio serving the Big Bend region of Far West Texas; KHNS, covering Alaska’s Upper Lynn Canal; and WMMT in Kentucky, reaching listeners across five Appalachian states, provide vital updates on weather emergencies, evacuation routes and recovery resources. In times of crisis, they are a trusted voice. 💵 While the national average is closer to 6%, rural stations often rely more heavily on support from the CPB due to limited local resources. This move risks deepening the "news deserts" already expanding across rural regions. 📢 In disaster philanthropy, we emphasize the importance of local knowledge, coordination and communication. Localized, public media is a cornerstone of that ecosystem. Defunding it undermines the very infrastructure that helps communities prepare for, respond to and recover from crises. ⭐ Surveys show strong bipartisan support for public broadcasting. This isn’t a political issue; it is a public safety one. We must protect and invest in the institutions that keep all Americans informed and connected, especially in their most vulnerable moments.
CPB's Role in Supporting Democratic Media
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Summary
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a nonprofit organization that distributes federal funding to local public radio and television stations, helping ensure that communities—including those in rural or underserved areas—have access to trusted news and educational programming. CPB plays a crucial role in maintaining democratic media by supporting stations that deliver unbiased information, emergency alerts, and cultural content that commercial broadcasters often overlook.
- Champion local access: Support local public media outlets to keep reliable news and community information available for everyone, especially in regions with limited media choices.
- Safeguard emergency communication: Recognize the importance of CPB-funded stations for delivering critical updates during disasters when other communication channels may go down.
- Invest in civic trust: Encourage ongoing public and private support for noncommercial media that helps strengthen civic engagement and community connection.
Summarized by AI based on LinkedIn member posts
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Jeff Jacoby makes a principled case for defunding NPR and PBS (“All things considered, NPR should pay its own way,” Ideas, June 1), but he overlooks the essential public value they provide, especially to communities that commercial media ignore. Yes, the media landscape has changed. But precisely because it’s so fragmented, partisan, and profit-driven, trusted, noncommercial public broadcasters matter more than ever. NPR and PBS deliver science, arts, and civic news that ad-driven outlets rarely cover, especially in rural or underserved regions. Federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — less than $2 per American per year — supports a national infrastructure of local stations, not Washington-based content. Remove that modest investment and dozens of smaller stations could collapse, weakening the civic fabric in places that need it most. Defunding NPR wouldn’t punish “bias.” It would punish communities that rely on thoughtful, noncommercial journalism. Paul Swindlehurst Londonderry, N.H. https://lnkd.in/esc4hhUg