The Trump administration and the press: the end of federal money for NPR and PBS

Gone quiet · last story Mar 31, 2026

What this arc covers

The Trump administration's campaign against public broadcasting in 2025: the FCC investigation of NPR and PBS, the executive order cutting their funding and PBS's lawsuit, the rescission package Congress sent to Trump, and the shutdown of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the strain on local stations.

PBS

Earliest story we hold Jan 30, 2025 · 13 stories · 105 independent sources (counted once each) · 425 days

Part ofPBSDonald TrumpCorporation for Public BroadcastingFederal Communications CommissionIllinoisMinnesotaBrendan CarrUnited States Senate

Part of The Trump administration and the press

  1. Trump's lawsuits against news outletsOct 31, 2024 – Aug 22, 2026
  2. the end of federal money for NPR and PBSThis arcJan 30, 2025 – Mar 31, 2026
  3. Hegseth's Pentagon press restrictionsFeb 1, 2025 – Sep 4, 2026
  4. The White House's control of press accessFeb 11, 2025 – Sep 26, 2026
  5. The FCC's early review of ABC's licensesApr 28 – Aug 30, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Mar 31– Apr 12026Citing First Amendment, federal judge blocks Trump order to end funding for NPR and PBS49 articles · 39 independent sources
6 left, 11 center, 4 right
Jan 5– 62026Corporation for Public Broadcasting board votes to dissolve organization after Congress defunds NPR, PBS20 articles · 12 independent sources
3 left, 2 center, 3 right
Sep 272025As federal funds wane, NPR ruefully clashes with CPB5 articles · 4 independent sources
2 left, 1 center, 0 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. May 2, 2025Trump signs executive order cutting funding to PBS, NPR84 articles · 60 independent sources
  2. May 27 – 28, 2025NPR sues Trump over order to cut funding73 articles · 56 independent sources
  3. May 30 – 31, 2025PBS sues Trump administration over executive order targeting public broadcasting31 articles · 22 independent sources
  4. Aug 1 – 2, 2025Corporation for Public Broadcasting, funder of NPR and PBS, says it will shut down after cuts by Congress73 articles · 48 independent sources
  5. Mar 31 – Apr 1, 2026Citing First Amendment, federal judge blocks Trump order to end funding for NPR and PBS49 articles · 39 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Jan 2025Apr 2025Jul 2025Oct 2025Jan 2026Mar 2026

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Jan 27, 20253138
Mar 24, 20250307
Apr 28, 20256211686
May 26, 20251424997
Jun 2, 20252219
Jul 14, 202554216
Jul 28, 20256161070
Aug 25, 20250206
Sep 1, 20251307
Sep 22, 20252105
Jan 5, 202632318
Mar 30, 2026611444

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

31% left · 52% center · 17% right of 105 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 13 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. January 2025

    Jan 30– 31Trump's FCC chief opens investigation into NPR and PBS11 articles · 11 independent sources
    3 left, 1 center, 3 right

  2. March 2025

    Mar 26– 27Congressional Republicans target PBS, NPR funding in contentious hearing7 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right

  3. April 2025

    Apr 29– 30Corporation for Public Broadcasting sues Trump after he tries to fire board members10 articles · 9 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 1 right

  4. May 2025

    May 2Trump signs executive order cutting funding to PBS, NPR84 articles · 60 independent sources
    5 left, 19 center, 16 right
  5. May 27– 28NPR sues Trump over order to cut funding73 articles · 56 independent sources
    8 left, 21 center, 7 right
  6. May 30– 31PBS sues Trump administration over executive order targeting public broadcasting31 articles · 22 independent sources
    5 left, 5 center, 4 right
  7. May 30– Jun 4Trump formally asks Congress to to defund PBS and NPR13 articles · 11 independent sources
    3 left, 2 center, 1 right

  8. July 2025

    Jul 17– 18PBS and NPR Funding Face “Devastating” Cut as Rescission Package Heads to Trump’s Desk20 articles · 14 independent sources
    5 left, 4 center, 2 right

  9. August 2025

    Aug 1– 2Corporation for Public Broadcasting, funder of NPR and PBS, says it will shut down after cuts by Congress73 articles · 48 independent sources
    6 left, 16 center, 10 right
  10. Aug 31– Sep 1PBS, NPR stations struggle with Trump-fueled government funding cuts13 articles · 12 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 0 right

  11. September 2025

    Sep 27As federal funds wane, NPR ruefully clashes with CPB5 articles · 4 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 0 right

  12. January 2026

    Jan 5– 6Corporation for Public Broadcasting board votes to dissolve organization after Congress defunds NPR, PBS20 articles · 12 independent sources
    3 left, 2 center, 3 right

  13. March 2026

    Mar 31– Apr 1Citing First Amendment, federal judge blocks Trump order to end funding for NPR and PBS49 articles · 39 independent sources
    6 left, 11 center, 4 right