Trump’s assault on public media financing is dangerous to safety and democracy

Public media at a serious threat. Currently, Republican lawmakers are paying a plan that can strip more than a billion dollars of funding from the Public Broadcasting Corporation – a step that will destroy local stations, especially in America’s countryside.

Here is what is happening: The Senate is about to vote on a rescue package, which means that it will vote to give the official character to some of the discounts made by the Ministry of Governmental efficiency at Elon Musk. If it is passed, the general broadcasting is dries – complete stopping.

Although NPR and PBS may survive in the main cities, the small-cities-that-dependent town stations-can disappear. These are societies where the public radio is not luxury – it is the only source of local news, educational content and even emergency alerts.

Seventy percent of the CPB budget directly funds more than 1500 local stations. Take it away, and many cannot keep their lights.

This batch is not random. It is part of a decades -long governor’s effort for the public media, which is now high -charging by President Trump. Public broadcast leaders call this more threatening they have ever faced.

They do not exaggerate. This is not only related to the loss of “Sesame Street” or “PBS NewShour”. It comes to silence local votes throughout America.

We stand at a crossroads. If this passes, hundreds of stations can become dark by autumn. Once the news is closed, you control the truth.

But let’s be honest: this battle around the public broadcast is just a tip of the iceberg. We are witnessing a broader attack on the same press. This is not related to budgets – it is related to control.

General broadcasters are one of the last reliable and unbiased news sources in many places. Their distinction does not only cut off TV programs – it disintegrates from the community of social life. Seriously, these stations provide updates in emergency situations during storms, forest fire warnings, and even amber alerts.

Critics claim that the public media tends to be liberal. I object. What really means is: any criticism of Trump is unacceptable. Journalists should be free to talk about the truth to power – even when the strong does not like it.

At the same time, the media force is unified. Policy -related companies deals reshape major outlets. We see billionaire owners pushing papers like the Washington Post towards Maga novels, while journalists have long resigned. Small newspapers in the town face legal threats only to report the survey results. And do not forget that the Associated Press was banned from the White House for refusing to call the Gulf of Mexico “the Gulf of America”.

If the public media fell, what is the following? National outlets under pressure. Local press die. The killing of NPR and PBS is not a budget reduction – it is a step towards dismantling the free press itself.

Without the free press, democracy does not stand a chance.

Lindsey Granger is a contributor to News Nation and a host in the Hill Comment Show “RISING”. This column is copies edited for hanging on the air.