Senator Ted Cruz Demands Accountability from NPR, Questions Funding in Wake of Partisan Bias Allegations

Amid a management scandal at NPR, Sen. Ted Cruz has sent a scathing letter to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), questioning the organization's funding practices and demanding accountability for alleged partisan bias within NPR.

Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, has sent a strongly worded letter to Patricia de Stacy Harrison, the President and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), expressing deep concern over "National Public Radio's (NPR) departure from its stated mission 'to create a more informed public' and to ‘distribute programming that meets the highest standards of public service in journalism.'"

Cruz's letter comes on the heels of the resignation of Uri Berliner, a 25-year veteran editor at NPR, who publicly accused the organization of a "far-left ideological takeover" and biased coverage during the Trump era. Berliner's allegations have sparked intense scrutiny and raised questions about NPR's journalistic integrity and its adherence to the principles of balanced and fair reporting.

In his letter, Cruz highlights Berliner's findings and criticizes NPR for persistently refusing to acknowledge and correct its journalistic errors. He argues that this partisanship undermines the trust and integrity expected of a public broadcaster, especially one that receives federal funding.

"NPR benefits from federal funding allocated through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Such funding obligates NPR to a higher standard of journalistic integrity that represents the American public’s diverse perspectives. Unfortunately, NPR’s current trajectory signifies a stark deviation from these principles, facilitated by an internal culture that stifles viewpoint diversity, as well as management with a history of overt partisanship," Cruz wrote.

Cruz also takes aim at NPR's CEO, Katherine Maher, whose past social media posts have revealed a history of Democratic activism and the promotion of "woke" ideologies. He questions why American taxpayers should fund Maher's "partisan propaganda" and suggests that her biases are incompatible with the mission of public broadcasting.

"By continuing to allocate funding to NPR, the CPB is complicit in perpetuating political bias and misinforming the American public at taxpayer expense," Cruz wrote.

Cruz poses a series of questions to Harrison, demanding answers on how CPB justifies continued funding for NPR despite evidence of deep-seated partisanship. He also requests information on the ratio of registered Republicans to registered Democrats serving as editors at NPR and seeks details of any steps taken by CPB to audit NPR's adherence to standards expected of recipients of federal funding.

Cruz warns that if these issues remain unaddressed, he is prepared to pursue further action, including reassessing NPR's funding or introducing appropriate legislation. He also urges CPB to consider terminating Maher's employment as CEO to restore the integrity of public broadcasting funding.

The CPB has confirmed receipt of Cruz's letter and has indicated that it will respond in a timely manner. The organization receives federal funding and disburses grants to public broadcasters around the country, including NPR and PBS.

NPR has maintained that it receives less than 1% of its annual budget from CPB, but critics argue that CPB funds smaller stations that in turn funnel cash to NPR. The controversy surrounding NPR and its alleged partisan bias has raised important questions about the role of public funding in media and the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity in an increasingly polarized society.