NPR’s CEO admits the taxpayer-funded media outlet should have covered the Hunter Biden laptop story as Congress questions the organization’s commitment to balanced reporting.
Quick Takes
- NPR CEO Katherine Maher acknowledged NPR’s failure to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story during congressional testimony, calling it a mistake
- Republicans in Congress have challenged NPR and PBS executives over perceived liberal bias while continuing to receive taxpayer funding
- The Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) held a hearing specifically to question NPR and PBS about alleged “leftist propaganda”
- Critics argue NPR has repeatedly shown editorial bias in its coverage decisions, including promoting controversial content while ignoring stories unfavorable to Democrats
- NPR leadership maintains they are committed to unbiased reporting despite growing criticism of their editorial choices
NPR Faces Congressional Scrutiny Over Editorial Bias
NPR CEO Katherine Maher faced intense questioning from Republican lawmakers during a congressional hearing regarding the taxpayer-funded media outlet’s editorial decisions and perceived political bias. Appearing before the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), Maher admitted that NPR should have provided more coverage of the Hunter Biden laptop story that emerged before the 2020 presidential election. The admission comes after years of criticism that NPR deliberately ignored a story with significant public interest implications that could have been damaging to then-candidate Joe Biden’s campaign.
The hearing, titled “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the heads of NPR and PBS Accountable,” focused on whether these publicly funded media organizations deserve continued taxpayer support given concerns about partisan content. Subcommittee Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene emphasized that NPR and PBS audiences are declining while the organizations appear to cater primarily to “wealthy, white, urban liberals and progressives.” The fundamental question raised repeatedly during the hearing was whether American taxpayers should continue funding media outlets that many perceive as having abandoned their commitment to balanced coverage.
🚨In the wake of the DOGE subcommittee hearing yesterday, Trump calls for the defunding of NPR and PBS, "IMMEDIATELY."
NPR Chief Katherine Maher is a woke radical and both orgs are leftwing propaganda mills.
Not a penny more of our tax dollars should be spent supporting them. pic.twitter.com/KTmqoKbpeg
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) March 27, 2025
Editorial Decisions Under Fire
NPR’s decision not to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story drew particular criticism during the hearing. When the New York Post first published its reporting on the laptop in October 2020, NPR Managing Editor Terence Samuel justified the outlet’s decision to ignore the story by stating, “We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions.” This editorial judgment call has since been recognized as problematic, with Maher now acknowledging that the organization should have approached the story differently.
Critics point to several other instances where NPR’s editorial decisions have raised questions about objectivity. These include the network’s promotion of a book titled “In Defense of Looting,” broadcasting audio of an abortion procedure, falsely reporting that U.S. Park Police used tear gas on protesters outside the White House, and a podcast linking country music to racism. Republican lawmakers have argued that these editorial choices reveal a pattern of left-leaning bias that undermines NPR’s claims of nonpartisan reporting.
Public Funding and Responsibility
Central to the congressional hearing was the question of whether NPR and PBS should continue receiving taxpayer dollars while facing accusations of political bias. Michael Gonzalez from the Heritage Foundation testified that these organizations have consistently shown “scorn for conservative views” and argued that their continued public funding constitutes an unfair burden on American taxpayers. Gonzalez specifically characterized this funding as a regressive wealth transfer that primarily benefits affluent listeners at the expense of working families.
In defense of their organizations, both Maher and PBS CEO Paula Kerger emphasized their commitment to serving diverse communities across America. Kerger said that there is “nothing more American” than PBS and highlighted its role as a membership organization with local stations serving communities nationwide. Maher claimed that NPR has taken steps to improve its editorial review processes and remains committed to unbiased reporting. Despite these assurances, the hearing underscored the ongoing tensions between public media’s stated mission and perceptions of its actual performance.
