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Friend,
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) recently announced that Trump’s budget cuts are forcing the institution to shut down.1
Free Press fought these dangerous budget rollbacks every step of the way, with the help of supporters like you. Starving and silencing public media is something authoritarians do, and these attacks are a major threat to our democracy.
The CPB has provided federal support for hundreds of NPR and PBS affiliates across the country. These outlets often supply vital local news, educational programming and life-saving emergency alerts to otherwise isolated communities — especially in rural America.
The shuttering of the CPB is devastating on too many levels. Free Press is devastated to see those who have dedicated their careers to the good work of public broadcasting pay the price for this administration’s systemic efforts to evade accountability.2
Last week’s news is the latest escalation of the free-speech emergency created by the Trump administration and its congressional allies.3 In their quest to use propaganda and chaos to confuse the American people, these authoritarians have weakened our democracy and denied many journalists, artists, educators and creators the opportunity to be heard.
Free Press will not allow this story to end here. Public media in this country may not have been perfect, but it has always been worth fighting for.
It will take years of organizing to rebuild what the Trump regime has demolished in six months — and when we do rebuild, we will do it together, and we will construct a more resilient system that truly serves the needs of the people.
With Congress captured and cowering, Free Press Action is already leading grassroots efforts in the states to craft public policy that supports local news and information:4
- In New Jersey, after a huge outpouring of public support, lawmakers reversed a proposed funding cut to the state’s Civic Information Consortium5 — restoring $2.5 million for projects that improve government transparency, support reporters of color, and keep communities informed about health and safety issues.
- In California, in response to our efforts, lawmakers allocated $15 million to expand the Local News Fellowship program, which supports early-career journalists working in underserved communities.
- The Media Power Collaborative, a national coalition run by Free Press Action, is already exploring the potency of state-level grantmaking bodies backed by a 1 percent ad tax on corporate and tech giants.6
We’ll be in touch in the weeks and months ahead as the fight for honest media and community information enters this new era. Stay tuned for opportunities to take action with us to advocate for the systemic changes we need to see.
If we don’t keep fighting, we stand to lose a lot more than what we’ve lost today.
Thank you,
Craig and the rest of us at Free Press
P.S. Help Free Press keep working to support and strengthen public media: Donate today.
1. ‘Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Funder of NPR and PBS, Says It Will End Operations Within Months After Federal Budget Cuts,” CBS News, August 1, 2025
2. “Defunding Public Media Makes Perfect Sense If Destroying Democracy Is the Goal,” Free Press, July 18, 2025
3. “Free Speech Is Under Attack. Here's What I Want Congress to Know,” Free Press, Feb. 14, 2025
4. “Free Press Action Launches 'Local News for the People,' a Collaborative Blueprint for Community-Centered Media,” Free Press, Feb. 25, 2025
5. “Major Win: New Jersey Civic Info Consortium Secures State Funding,” Free Press, July 10, 2025
6. “How a 1 Percent Ad Tax Could Transform Local News,” Free Press, June 18, 2025
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