In this letter to the editor, the author comments on recent efforts to defund public media stations under the Trump Administration — specifically, NPR and PBS. Radio World welcomes letters to the editor on this or any story. Email [email protected].
The current administration is working to terminate the federal funds given to public broadcasting entities. This is my take on the subject, as I believe that it may also be many others’ as well.
The concept that the federal government should fund a basic information service at face value is a good idea. I believe that everyone should have access to at least some form of national news, and radio is a great (and inexpensive) way to do that for large areas.
The problem I see is that even though the public radio supporters say that its reporting is fair and balanced, anyone listening will know in short order that is not the case. The public radio content providers are entirely liberal and in no way even try to mask it with any kind of actual journalism. Therein lies the problem.
Half of this country has no problem with the leftist playground that public radio has become, and the other half takes issue with its values being degraded and/or deleted from the platform.
If public radio wants federal funding — as provided by whichever majority that is in control — and expects to keep it when the power shifts the opposite way at the next election, what they should be striving for is completely NEUTRAL news journalism. If public radio was a source of unbiased, neutral news and information, my radio would never leave the local station!
I am mostly conservative, but I like to hear both sides and make up my own mind. I truly think that most Americans are similar in that they have a direction that they lean ideologically, but that they are willing to hear both sides and then figure out where they stand on each issue.
When a media outlet colors their reporting one way or the other, not only do they alienate those with opposing viewpoints, they are also subconsciously labeling their audience as collectively stupid and unable to make up their own minds. Well, I have news for them. We, the modern public have more access to information than we have ever had … and as such, we have the capacity to make valid decisions based on our beliefs that work for us individually.
We no longer need the “news” media and Hollywood movie stars shoving their agenda down our throats.
Listen up public radio … If you want to survive the test of time, just skip the rhetoric and give us REAL news and information. We don’t care about your opinion. We just want the facts. Give your listeners that, and you’ll have strong support from both sides of the political spectrum!
— Thane Conriocht, Running Wolf Radio LLC
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