Protect public media and press freedom from authoritarian overreach

The president's executive order targeting federal funding for NPR and PBS is an alarming authoritarian overreach that threatens vital independent media sources relied upon by millions of Americans. These public broadcasting networks provide invaluable educational and journalistic programming while bolstering local journalism in underserved areas. Defunding them would deal a severe blow to press freedom and the public's access to trustworthy information at a time when the media landscape is already under immense financial strain. This appears to be a blatant attempt to punish honest reporting and suppress voices that scrutinize those in power. Such actions are hallmarks of dictatorships, not democracies. I urge you to vehemently oppose this anti-democratic attack on the free press and the public's right to knowledge. We must protect NPR, PBS, and the vital role they play in sustaining an informed citizenry.