President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the cessation of federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), accusing both outlets of presenting content that is "biased" and "unrepresentative" of American taxpayers.

The move marks a new chapter in the President's confrontation with the traditional media, which he has repeatedly described as "enemies of the people". This time, the target is the public media financed in part by the State through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which also relies on private donations to operate.

In the order, Trump instructed the CPB Board of Directors and all executive agencies to "cease federal funding" earmarked for NPR and PBS, claiming that "neither entity presents a fair, accurate or unbiased view of current events for taxpaying citizens."

Although the decision has generated controversy, the CPB budget has already been approved by Congress through 2027, raising questions about the legal scope of the executive order. According to Politico, this is "the biggest escalation yet in the White House's assault on the media," and it anticipates that the measure could be challenged in court.

The White House backed up its decision with a fact sheet titled "President Donald J. Trump Ends Subsidization of Biased Media with Taxpayer Money," where it accuses NPR and PBS of promoting partisan propaganda and left-wing content.

Among the examples cited by the administration are an NPR report on "queer animals," the appearance of a drag queen on a PBS children's show, and the airing of a film about a transgender teenager's transition. In addition, they point to an alleged bias in the use of the term "alt-right" on PBS News Hour, which would have been mentioned 162 times versus only six mentions of the term "radical left" over a six-month period.

Alarm for press freedom

Press freedom organizations expressed concern about this new offensive. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned Friday of an "alarming deterioration of press freedom" in the United States and "unprecedented" difficulties for independent journalism globally.

This decision adds to a series of measures taken by the Trump administration in recent months, including the withdrawal of the White House Correspondents' Association's power to decide who covers presidential events, and the vetoing of Associated Press journalists in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One.

In addition, the administration has begun dismantling international public broadcasters such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, historically considered tools of U.S. public diplomacy.

With information from AFP.