Well, PBS is doing something about it with a new lawsuit against President Donald Trump. Their goal is to stop his recent executive order to end federal funding for the public broadcaster. This lawsuit came just three days after NPR filed its own similar legal action. It underscores the increasing antagonism between public media providers and the Trump administration.
Now, PBS and one of its member stations in Minnesota, Twin Cities PBS, have both sued. They claim Trump’s order violates constitutional protections afforded by the First Amendment freedoms of speech and press. PBS contends that its operations are protected by the U.S. Constitution. It further argues that federal telecommunications law prohibits any such interference, thus safeguarding its independence. The new law explicitly bars any federal department or agency from ordering, managing or controlling the operation of public telecoms. This includes appropriations oversight for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds PBS.
PBS has challenged this in a lawsuit filed against the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. They argue that the executive order issued by Trump cuts at the very heart of their independence and threatens their unique programming. More importantly, the complaint hones in on the fact that the order goes beyond trying to defund PBS, it tries to control what PBS can produce.
PBS pointed out that Trump’s May 1 order characterizes federal funding for news media as “not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.” The nonprofit organization argues that this directive is an explicit attempt by the administration to manipulate the editorial direction of public media.
PBS spokesperson stated, “After careful deliberation, PBS reached the conclusion that it was necessary to take legal action to safeguard public television’s editorial independence, and to protect the autonomy of PBS member stations.” This sentiment echoes concerns raised by lawyers representing PBS, who argue that Trump’s actions “smacks of retaliation for, among other things, perceived political slights in news coverage.”
Trump’s executive order stops all federal funding for NPR and PBS. This gap in funding was formerly filled by the CPB and other exec agencies. The current court case sheds light on the contentious and often hostile relationship between the Trump administration and public media outlets. PBS and NPR are currently suing in federal court to have the executive order declared unconstitutional.