National Public Radio CEO Katherine Maher was a no-show today before a House committee looking into allegations of bias at the public broadcaster — but she will “testify on a date in the near future that works for the Committee and Maher,” a spokesperson said. Meanwhile, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), unleashed an array of criticisms in her opening remarks.
“It is a fundamental principle under the First Amendment for news agencies to report on stories however they see fit,” she said. “It is not, however, a fundamental principle for news organizations to receive public funding to express their viewpoint. We are holding this hearing today to discuss accusations from within National Public Radio, or NPR, that the organization’s DC bureau is actively censoring viewpoints — all while enjoying funding from Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars.”
NPR said Maher has an all-day meeting with the organization’s board of directors, and that her plans were previously scheduled and publicly posted. Last week Maher’s appearance was requested in a letter from Rodgers.
NPR is again under scrutiny by House Republicans following the release of an explosive op-ed by a now former editor, Uri Berliner, who leveled allegations of bias and challenged NPR’s integrity.
Among Berliner’s claims: the NPR newsroom overwhelming consists of Democrats, and that NPR has backed away from stories that might have bolstered the 2020 and current presidential campaigns of former President Donald Trump — specifically, claims about a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son.
“It was quite revealing from Mr. Berliner that NPR did not want to report stories that could help President Trump’s chances of winning the 2020 Presidential Election,” Rodgers said, “no matter how evidently true or important to the public conversation they were.”
Several in the GOP have called for the revocation of NPR’s public funding.
Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) wrote Corporation for Public Broadcasting Chair Laura Gore Ross, saying he’s worried about “the credibility of local public radio and public broadcasting services,” citing “disturbing allegations of bias in NPR’s reporting, stemming from leadership that has been accused of politicizing the editorial process and favoring liberal narratives.”
“As both Florida’s governor and my state’s U.S. senator, I have worked with local NPR affiliates to shed light on important issues facing families in my state. From covering local news, to providing life-saving guidance to Floridians during hurricanes, local NPR affiliates play a critical role in keeping families across the Sunshine State informed and safe,” Scott said.
He added that “Floridians must be reassured that the objective reporting we have come to expect and appreciate from local NPR affiliates, and the confidence that they have in these stations, will be maintained.”
