Democrats Equate NPR Criticism with Support for Putin and CCP

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) defended NPR against Republican criticism, claiming that such criticism "enjoyed" by foreign adversaries such as Russia and China.

In a contentious hearing on Wednesday, House Democrat Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) vehemently defended NPR from Republican criticism, suggesting that such criticism played into the hands of American enemies like Vladimir Putin and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

During her opening statement at the House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing, Castor asserted that figures like Putin derive pleasure from attacks on American journalists by politicians. "Foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, Russia's Putin or Iran's violent theocrats certainly enjoy it when American politicians undermine our own objective journalists," she said.

Castor went on to argue that the committee should refrain from engaging in such criticism, stating, "This committee should not do their dirty work for them. Instead, we need to invest in public broadcasting, NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting."

However, Tim Graham, editor of the conservative watchdog Media Research Center and a witness at the hearing, vehemently objected to her comparison of his criticism of NPR to support for Putin. "I am the regular audience… I may be the weird guy that actually listens to NPR, but when you listen to it, it’s very hard to describe it as objective," Graham said.

He expressed offense at the suggestion that criticizing NPR made him comparable to Putin, emphasizing that in a democracy, citizens should have the freedom to express dissatisfaction with the media. "The media is basically kicking us in the keister," Graham said. "So, I think there should be a role in the public radio system to represent all the public. You can sit here and talk about how it does, I’ll tell you it does not. It’s not serving me."

"It’s harming me, it’s smearing me. And a lot of Republicans and conservatives feel that way," he added.

The hearing was prompted by the actions of whistleblower Uri Berliner, who resigned from NPR after 25 years of service due to concerns over longstanding liberal bias issues. In a scathing piece for The Free Press, Berliner criticized NPR’s coverage of Russiagate, the COVID lab leak theory, Hunter Biden’s scandalous laptop, and embrace of the theory of systemic racism.

Berliner's resignation and subsequent criticisms of NPR have sparked heated debate over the objectivity and neutrality of taxpayer-funded news organizations. The hearing on Wednesday further highlighted the partisan divide on this issue, with Democrats defending NPR and Republicans expressing concerns about its alleged bias.

Despite the invitation, NPR CEO Katherine Maher was noticeably absent from the hearing, citing a meeting with the organization's board of directors. A spokesperson for NPR confirmed Maher's absence and stated that the organization had offered to testify on a future date.

The outcome of the hearing remains to be seen, but the debate over NPR's objectivity is likely to continue. The issue has raised questions about the role of public broadcasting in a polarized media landscape and the responsibility of news organizations to provide balanced and unbiased reporting.