1. United States
2. Neb.
3. Letter

Stand up to President Trump, and demand that he continue to fund NPR and PBS. Public radio and public television have enjoyed bipartisan support since 1967. The system has a profound impact on Americans in all 50 states and in every type of community—urban, suburban, rural, and remote. This indispensable service costs the American taxpayer about $1.60 a year, and it is one that the majority of Americans want to maintain. Recent polling from the Pew Research Center shows that only 24 percent of Americans support cutting federal funding. This is an attack on the free press and the very idea of an American public sphere: where information and ideas flow freely, everyone has access to the arts, and neighbors are connected—to one another and to those in power. This will lead to even moremisinformation and disinformation, and a further retreat into hyper-partisan platforms. It has been well proven that the erosion of local news increases corruption and decreases voter turnout, civic engagement, and government efficiency. Do you know who else loves to eliminate access to a free press? Dictators. Fascists. Evil people who have only their own interest at heart and do not care at all for the people of their country. I demand that you DO YOUR JOB and stop this attack on the first amendment and access to free media.