We value our Public Broadcasting stations for the services they provide. Where else can we find decent children’s programming, all those wonderful shows about nature and the environment, thoughtful news programs, Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery, Antiques Roadshow, and more—all ad-free? With a stroke of his pen, however, the current president has launched an attack against the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private, nonprofit organization which Congress authorized to ensure every part of the nation has access to “non-commercial, high-quality content and telecommunications services.” 

Here is a statement from our local public TV station, WGVU:

On May 1st, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media. This order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to prohibit both direct and indirect federal funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). This action raises serious concerns about the future of public media nationwide and in West Michigan.

This action also targets National Public Radio, which means Michigan’s local and community news reporting is also under threat. 

Just to be clear, this is not a budget concern. The money Congress approved for this is only one one-hundredth of a percent (0.0001) of the federal budget. In fact, the words “Biased Media” get at his real reason: the people in this administration are trying to stifle any media that does not share their views. If this were in fact about general bias in the media, they would be going after FOX, not PBS. 

Please read the full information about this action on this webpage. It outlines several ways we can respond to this challenge:

1. Stay informed. Bookmark this page for running updates and information.
2. Join the Action Network. Visit protectmypublicmedia.org/join to learn of all the ways you can protect your local public media stations.
3. Speak up. If you value free, public‐service media, contact your representatives or visit Protect My Public Media to share your story.
4. Support WGVU. Your donation keeps trusted journalism, PBS KIDS programming, and local storytelling alive in West Michigan.

We encourage each of you to do at least one thing in response to this challenge. Combining our small steps can lead to a giant step towards protecting our First Amendment rights.

Photo by Coline Haslé on Unsplash