Ted Cruz wants NPR to promise that diversity, equity, and inclusion won’t influence their editorial decisions.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has taken a stand against National Public Radio (NPR) in an effort to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals and wealthy donors are not influencing editorial decisions within the newsroom.
In a letter addressed to NPR CEO Katherine Maher, Cruz highlighted the importance of upholding objectivity and balance in all programs of a controversial nature, a requirement mandated by law for recipients of federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which NPR is a part of.
Cruz raised concerns about NPR potentially taking editorial cues from donors or DEI standards, emphasizing the need for assurances that the news organization is maintaining unbiased reporting practices. With NPR receiving donations from both the CPB, which is federally funded, and private affluent donors, the senator pointed out the possibility of selective reporting driven by political biases and donor influence.
He pointed to instances where NPR’s coverage appeared to align with the beliefs of specific donors, suggesting that this may compromise the outlet’s commitment to independent journalism in the public interest. Cruz emphasized that if taxpayers are funding a public broadcaster like NPR, they deserve fair and impartial reporting free from external influences.
The issue with NPR’s editorial integrity came to the forefront earlier this year when longtime editor Uri Berliner publicly criticized the organization in an essay, questioning its coverage of significant events such as allegations of collusion between former President Trump and Russia, Hunter Biden’s laptop controversy, and the origins of COVID-19. Berliner’s criticisms led to his suspension and subsequent resignation from NPR.
These revelations brought renewed scrutiny to NPR’s editorial decisions, leading Republican lawmakers to threaten the funding for CPB, which indirectly supports NPR. The controversy surrounding NPR’s editorial practices is a sobering reminder of the challenges faced by news organizations in maintaining journalistic integrity amidst external pressures.
