by WorldTribune Staff, August 21, 2025 Real World News
Several foundations are ponying up millions of dollars to ensure the leftist narrative lives on at NPR and PBS.
Less than two months after President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress moved to eliminate government funding of public media outlets, the Knight Foundation, Pivotal Ventures, the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, the Schmidt Family Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced plans to raise $50 million this year for leftist news.
“The six philanthropies are planning to offer $37 million and have called on others to pony up the rest to help small TV and radio outlets that were funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which said it would close its doors after Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that defunded it,” Paul Bedard noted in an Aug. 19 op-ed for the Washington Examiner.
Bedard added: "The philanthropies said in a statement that defunding CPB would result in the loss of up to 30% of funding for many independent media outlets."
Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, president and CEO of the Knight Foundation, noted: “Local public media stations are trusted community anchors that connect people to vital news, culture and civic life. This is an urgent moment that calls for bold action. We are proud to stand with our fellow foundations and urge others to join us in securing the future of public media.”
Trump and Republicans said they cut taxpayer support for public broadcasting due to the outlets’ lopsided promotion of liberal politics and politicians.
Conservative outlets aren’t expected to get any of the millions the foundations are earmarking for media.
A third of the fund will go to the Public Media Bridge Fund to offer grants and low-interest loans to “vulnerable stations,” per a Knight Foundation press release.
Meanwhile, Bedard noted that MacArthur is committing $10 million in direct support of public media stations, programs, and organizations.
“Millions of people rely on public media for trusted local news, educational programming, and stories that reflect their lives and experiences,” said John Palfrey, president of the MacArthur Foundation.
“Stations serving rural, small to mid-market, and Native communities, as well as documentary ecosystems, are disproportionately impacted by the funding cuts and need intentional support. These stations are more than just broadcasters — they are critical sources of information and connection.”
