*We’re making it easier than ever to take action with us: If we already have your information in our records, you just need to click one of the links or button below to instantly sign the petition.* |
Don’t Let Trump Destroy Public Media Friend,
Right on the heels of ramming through a bloated budget that sabotages Medicaid, turns ICE into one of the largest military forces on the planet and provides all kinds of breaks for billionaires, Congress is gearing up to strike a grave blow to public media and global public-health initiatives. This legislation is separate from the not-so-beautiful bill that passed over the holiday weekend.
Trump’s dangerous actions are inflicting all kinds of pain and confusion, whether it’s his deployment of U.S. troops against civilians in Los Angeles or his reckless cuts to government services that have left communities vulnerable to extreme flooding and other weather events. Amid these disasters, the public urgently needs access to lifesaving information and journalism that can hold malicious forces accountable … which is precisely why this administration is so eager to eliminate public-media outlets like NPR and PBS.
Our TV-obsessed president has a history of going after media outlets that don’t fall in line with his selfish and authoritarian demands: In Trump’s ideal world, the only acceptable “journalists” would be the sycophants at Fox News, Newsmax and OAN. Destroying public media brings Trump one step closer to having total control over what goes on the air. Urge Congress to defend public-interest journalism against these attacks. *One click on the link or button will instantly add your name to our petition if we have your details on file.*
This brings us to the White House’s formal request to Congress to claw back nearly $1.1 billion in already-approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.1 The CPB provides funding that helps support popular programming at local NPR and PBS stations around the country. These stations also provide crucial emergency warning services: For tens of millions of Americans — with hurricane, tornado and wildfire risks rising — public media is their only source of local news and disaster-readiness support.
Trump also has public health in his crosshairs thanks to this legislative package. Billions of dollars are at stake for international health, disaster-relief and clean-water programs — and this legislation would also claw back federal funding for UNICEF, AIDS relief and maternal-mortality intervention. The MAGA movement’s war on women and children shows no sign of slowing down.
The House already passed this bad bill by a razor-thin margin, and with a July 18 deadline on the calendar, the Senate is expected to vote on it any day now. This is not a popular bill: We have a real chance to stop it from passing. If this legislation goes into effect, the impacts for public media and public health will be disastrous.
If we don’t act now, people could lose reliable access to NPR, PBS and emergency broadcast services. Urge Congress to protect public-media funding. *One click on the link or button will instantly add your name to our petition if we have your details on file.*
| To Members of Congress:
Communities across the country rely on their local public radio and TV stations to provide trustworthy news reporting and a diversity of opinions. In poll after poll, the American public has said it wants more support for public and community media, not less.
President Trump’s request to rescind federal funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would also jeopardize the programming and emergency alerts that your constituents rely on.
Reject all efforts to defund public media. |
In a healthy democracy — where leadership is truly accountable to the people — we would be investing more in our public-media system: Federal support for public media strengthens democracies and helps people understand the world around them. But Trump and his loyalists want to sabotage our cherished public services and public health.
This is a five-alarm fire for public media, public health and democracy. Sign our petition now. *One click on the link or button will instantly add your name to our petition if we have your details on file.*
Thanks for your support,
Heather and the rest of us at Free Press Action
1. “Trump Formally Asks Congress to Claw Back Approved Spending Targeted by DOGE,” Associated Press, June 6, 2025  |
