Media Monitor: Congress Votes to Cut Public Media Funding

Poynter is reporting that Congress has voted to cut federal funding for public broadcasting. It said the House joined the Senate in approving President Trump’s request to rescind $1.07 billion in funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Poynter said the decision wipes out two years of support for NPR, PBS and the 1,400 local stations that rely on CPB grants. NPR CEO Katherine Maher said defunding public broadcasting is a real risk to the public safety of the country.

Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones writes that this is a dark day for journalism, the free press and everyday Americans who are going to feel the effects. He notes the irony that it’s not national news coverage being threatened most, but local stories, kids programming, weather alerts and wildfire updates.

The Washington Post reports that experts say this type of interference is a big step toward the government controlling the flow of information.