Katherine Maher defends NPR against bias allegations at congressional hearing
- The House Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency held a hearing on March 26, 2025.
- CEOs of NPR and PBS faced questioning about allegations of liberal bias in their programming.
- The government’s funding for public broadcasting is under scrutiny amidst claims of political partisanship.
On March 26, 2025, in Washington D.C., Katherine Maher, the President and CEO of National Public Radio (NPR), along with Paula Kerger, the President and CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), testified before the House Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency. This hearing was convened by Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene to discuss allegations of liberal bias within NPR and PBS. Greene expressed skepticism about federal funding for public broadcasting, prompting the CEOs to defend their organizations against claims of political partisanship, particularly from a conservative viewpoint. During the hearing, Republican lawmakers scrutinized both CEOs, focusing on alleged instances of biased coverage, including NPR's handling of stories related to Hunter Biden's laptop and PBS's coverage of transgender issues. Maher acknowledged some editorial missteps but emphasized NPR's commitment to impartial journalism that serves a diverse audience in a bipartisan fashion. She stated that NPR has a public interest responsibility to represent a wide array of perspectives. The Republican majority framed the conversation around public media as a matter of accountability, arguing for a reassessment of taxpayer funding for NPR and PBS based on perceived political leanings. In contrast, Democrats present at the hearing viewed this as an attack on journalistic integrity, highlighting the importance of independent media amid rising political tensions. The hearing reflects a broader initiative by some lawmakers and the Trump administration to scrutinize and potentially defund public broadcasting organizations, which they argue do not accurately represent conservative viewpoints. While NPR receives a smaller portion of its funding from federal sources compared to PBS, the ongoing discussions regarding federal funding could have far-reaching implications for the future of public broadcasting in the United States. As Maher pointed out, public media plays a crucial role in fostering civic engagement and providing quality journalism accessible to all Americans, thereby reinforcing the democratic foundation of the country.