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FACT SHEET: Attacks on Public Media
FACT SHEET: Attacks on Public Media
The ideological takeover of public broadcasting has been a strategy and goal of conservative
institutions since at least the 1990s. Think tanks The Heritage Foundation and Manhattan
Institute and political actors including Heritage’s Mike Gonzalez and Manhattan’s Christopher
Rufo have long railed against public broadcasting, calling it “biased,” “woke,” “ propaganda.”
Conservative think tanks including The Heritage Foundation and The Manhattan Institute as
well as political actors such as Christopher Rufo have spearheaded recent attacks on public
broadcasting and NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher.
While The Heritage Foundation and The Manhattan Institute have a long history of attacking
public broadcasting, Rufo, a longtime anti-civil rights activist, has only recently shifted his
focus to Maher.
1
Sophie Lawton, Jacina Hollins-Borges, Jack Wheatley, and John Knefel, Media Matters, “A guide to
Project 2025, the extreme right-wing agenda for the next Republican administration,” March 20, 2024,
https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-re
publican-administration
2
Julian Borger, The Guardian, “'Wildly inappropriate': VOA purge continues as foreign journalists' visas
not renewed,” July 10, 2020,
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jul/10/wildly-inappropriate-voa-purge-continues-as-foreign-journ
alists-visas-cancelled
3
Sophie Lawton, Media Matters, “Project 2025 and the Heritage Foundation have plans to defund public
broadcasting,” April 26, 2024,
https://www.mediamatters.org/project-2025/project-2025-and-heritage-foundation-have-plans-defund-publ
ic-broadcasting
4
Mike Gonzalez, The Heritage Foundation, “Stop Forcing Taxpayers to Fund Public Broadcasting,”
November 6, 2017,
https://www.heritage.org/budget-and-spending/commentary/stop-forcing-taxpayers-fund-public-broadcasti
ng?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thf-fb
5
Mike Gonzalez, The Heritage Foundation, “Yes: Tax Money Shouldn’t Shore Up Blatantly Biased TV and
Radio,” May 19, 2017,
https://www.heritage.org/taxes/commentary/yes-tax-money-shouldnt-shore-blatantly-biased-tv-and-radio?
utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thf-tw
6
Howard Husock, The Manhattan Institute, “A New Role For Public Broadcasting?” March 23, 2015,
https://manhattan.institute/article/a-new-role-for-public-broadcasting
7
Howard Husock, The Manhattan Institute, “Public Broadcasting Shouldn’t Get a Handout From
Taxpayers Anymore,” March 17, 2017,
https://manhattan.institute/article/public-broadcasting-shouldnt-get-a-handout-from-taxpayers-anymore
8
Howard Husock, The Manhattan Institute, “Reform Public Broadcasting to Save Local Journalism,”
August 25, 2018, https://manhattan.institute/article/reform-public-broadcasting-to-save-local-journalism
9
Howard Husock, The Manhattan Institute, “Public Broadcasting Establishment Hurts the Future of Local
Journalism,” February 19, 2020,
https://manhattan.institute/article/public-broadcasting-establishment-hurts-the-future-of-local-journalism
10
Howard Husock, The Hill, “Public Broadcasting Establishment Hurts the Future of Local Journalism,”
February 19, 2020,
https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/483744-public-broadcasting-establishment-hurts-the-future-of-local-j
ournalism/
11
Christopher F. Rufo, Substack, “Quotations from Chairman Maher,” April 17, 2024,
https://christopherrufo.com/p/quotations-from-chairman-maher
12
Christopher F. Rufo, City Journal, “Quotations from Chairman Maher,” April 17, 2024,
https://www.city-journal.org/article/quotations-from-chairman-maher
13
Christopher F. Rufo, Twitter/X, April 15, 2024,
https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1779987056967725328
14
Christopher F. Rufo, Twitter/X, April 18, 2024,
https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1781009614584381486
15
Christopher F. Rufo, Twitter/X, April 17, 2024,
https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1780606092105679047
16
Christopher F. Rufo, Twitter/X, April 16, 2024,
https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1780253370097549584
17
Christopher F. Rufo, Twitter/X, April 18, 2024,
https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1781077680932446332
18
Christopher F. Rufo, Twitter/X, April 25, 2024,
https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1783379729397293256
Right-wing media have also attacked public broadcasting networks including NPR,
PBS/Sesame Street, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and Voice of America with
repeated claims that these institutions are a propaganda tool of the left and must be
defunded.
● NPR
○ Fox News has attacked NPR since at least 2002, calling it “National
Propaganda Radio.” In 2011, multiple Fox personalities cheered a GOP-led House
vote to defund NPR, including Brian Kilmeade and Sean Hannity. Fox & Friends
co-host Steve Doocy called NPR and PBS “lefty outfits,” and then-Fox News
chairman Roger Ailes called NPR executives “Nazis” with a “Nazi attitude.” On his
former Fox show, Bill O’Reilly repeatedly attacked NPR. In January 2002, he asked
if NPR should “be called the National Propaganda Radio Network.” In May 2002,
O’Reilly claimed that NPR “may be censoring right-wing voices, even though NPR
gets close to $3 million a year in tax money, and much of that coming from
right-wing voices.”21 22 23 24
● SESAME STREET AND MUPPETs
○ Fox News personalities have spun up outrage over and railed against Sesame
Street and Muppets over the years: “Left-wing communist diatribe.” In January
19
Gideon Taaffe, Emma Mae Weber, and Chloe Simon, Media Matters, “Right-wing media celebrate the
ouster of Harvard’s president as part of a broader assault on higher education,” January 5, 2024,
https://www.mediamatters.org/education/right-wing-media-celebrate-ouster-harvards-president-part-broad
er-assault-higher
20
Eric Kleefeld, Media Matters, “A key figure behind the “critical race theory” scare campaign admitted he
doesn’t care about actually understanding it,” June 23, 2021,
https://www.mediamatters.org/diversity-discrimination/key-figure-behind-critical-race-theory-scare-campai
gn-admitted-he-doesnt
21
Julie Millican and Eric Schroeck, Media Matters, “Fox uses Juan Williams as excuse to continue its
longstanding campaign against NPR,” October 22, 2010,
https://www.mediamatters.org/sean-hannity/fox-uses-juan-williams-excuse-continue-its-longstanding-cam
paign-against-npr
22
Chelsea Rudman, Media Matters, “Still Inventing Bias: Right-wing Media Cheer House Vote To Defund
“Liberal” NPR,” March 18, 2011,
https://www.mediamatters.org/national-public-radio/still-inventing-bias-right-wing-media-cheer-house-vote
-defund-liberal-npr
23
Media Matters Staff, Media Matters, “Doocy: White House Wants To Keep Funding For NPR, PBS, CPB
Because ‘They're Lefty Outfits,’” March 10, 2011,
https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-friends/doocy-white-house-wants-keep-funding-npr-pbs-cpb-because-th
eyre-lefty-outfits
24
Justin Berrier, Media Matters, “Fox's “Nazi” rhetoric also comes straight from the top,” November 18,
2010, https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/foxs-nazi-rhetoric-also-comes-straight-top
25
Media Matters Staff, Media Matters, “Fox's Eric Bolling Calls Sesame Street A ‘Left-Wing Communist
Diatribe,’” January 14, 2016,
https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/foxs-eric-bolling-calls-sesame-street-left-wing-communist-diatribe
26
Media Matters Staff, Media Matters, “Tucker Carlson unloads on Sesame Street after learning a puppet
character has a race,” January 7, 2022,
https://www.mediamatters.org/tucker-carlson/tucker-carlson-unloads-sesame-street-after-learning-puppet-
character-has-race
27
Media Matters Staff, Media Matters, “Tucker Carlson unleashes unhinged attack on Elmo and Sesame
Street special on George Floyd protests,” June 9, 2020,
https://www.mediamatters.org/tucker-carlson/tucker-carlson-unleashes-unhinged-attack-elmo-and-sesam
e-street-special-george-floyd
28
Melody Johnson, Media Matters, “Bolling's Muppet-Bashing Just The Latest Right-Wing Attack On Kids'
Programs,” December 6, 2011,
https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/bollings-muppet-bashing-just-latest-right-wing-attack-kids-progra
ms
29
Eric Kleefeld and Charis Hoard, Media Matters, “‘S’ is for ‘Shrinkflation’: Cookie Monster draws
right-wing anger for taking a bite out of corporate greed,” March 7, 2024,
https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/s-shrinkflation-cookie-monster-draws-right-wing-anger-taking-bite
-out-corporate-greed
30
Tara Palmeri, Politico, “Trump to inherit state-run TV network with expanded reach,” December 12,
2016, https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/donald-trump-voice-of-america-232442
31
Bess Levin, Vanity Fair, “Trump Proposes State-Run TV Network to Show the World How Great He Is,”
November 26, 2018,
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/11/trump-proposes-formation-of-state-run-tv-to-show-the-world-how
-great-he-is?redirectURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fnews%2F2018%2F11%2Ftrump-pro
poses-formation-of-state-run-tv-to-show-the-world-how-great-he-is
32
Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, “Trump says he wants a government-run media outlet. He’s ignored
the one he has – so far,” December 14, 2018,
https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-voice-america-trump-20181213-story.html
Conservative organizations and individuals have also attacked First Amendment protections
for journalists and floated plans to overhaul news platforms and transform news platforms
into right-wing propaganda.
33
Matthew Lee, Associated Press, “Biden cleans house at VOA after revolt over Trump changes,”
January 21, 2021,
https://apnews.com/article/biden-inauguration-joe-biden-donald-trump-cuba-media-744c7a32d2587753a1
7a88bdf123b6bc
34
Ben Jacobs, The Guardian, “Donald Trump pledges to curb press freedom through libel laws,” February
26, 2016,
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/26/trump-pledges-curb-press-freedom-libel-laws-first-ame
ndment
35
Jacob Mchangama and Nadine Strossen, Foreign Policy, “U.S. Conservatives Are Threatening Global
Free Speech,” March 7, 2023,
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/03/07/republicans-sullivan-defamation-free-speech-de-santis-trump/
36
Philip Bump, The Washington Post, “Republican leaders deploy the First Amendment against the First
Amendment,” February 9, 2023,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/09/first-amendment-media-republicans-desantis-twitter/
37
Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, “Why Conservatives Invented a ‘Right to Post,’” December 9, 2022,
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/12/legal-right-to-post-free-speech-social-media/672406/
38
Natalie Mathes and Camden Carter, Media Matters, “New data shows conservatives are still not being
censored on Facebook, even as engagement with political pages declines,” June 12, 2023,
https://www.mediamatters.org/facebook/new-data-shows-conservatives-are-still-not-being-censored-faceb
ook-even-engagement
39
Dan Friedman, Mother Jones, “With Its Top Investor in Jail, a Pro-Trump Social Media Site Suffers
Mass Layoffs,” February 21, 2024, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/02/gettr-guo-layoffs/
40
A.J. Bauer, Politico, “Why Conservatives Can’t Stop Acquiring Media Companies,” November 2, 2022,
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/11/02/conservatives-acquiring-media-companies-musk-twit
ter-00064443
41
Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, “The Right-Wing Media Takeover Is Destroying America,”
January 19, 2024, https://newrepublic.com/post/178256/baltimore-sun-liberal-billionaires-media-failure
42
Pam Vogel, Media Matters, “10 communities that are particularly vulnerable to Sinclair’s right-wing
propaganda ahead of the midterms,” September 12, 2018,
https://www.mediamatters.org/sinclair-broadcast-group/10-communities-are-particularly-vulnerable-sinclai
rs-right-wing-propaganda
43
Pam Vogel, Media Matters, “Sinclair's recent must-runs were a series of Trump interview excerpts
about how great his administration is doing and how unfairly he’s treated,” October 1, 2018,
https://www.mediamatters.org/sinclair-broadcast-group/sinclairs-recent-must-runs-were-series-trump-inter
view-excerpts-about-how
44
Pam Vogel, Media Matters, “The right-wing local news empire growing in Baltimore,” January 22, 2024,
https://www.mediamatters.org/sinclair-broadcast-group/right-wing-local-news-empire-growing-baltimore
45
Eric Kleefeld, Media Matters, “National broadcast and cable networks are barely covering Trump’s
recent gaffes and incoherent statements,” October 30, 2023,
https://www.mediamatters.org/cable-news/national-broadcast-and-cable-networks-are-barely-covering-tru
mps-recent-gaffes-and
46
Rob Savillo, Media Matters, “Top newspapers mention Biden’s age more than twice as often as
Trump’s,” October 20, 2023,
https://www.mediamatters.org/los-angeles-times/top-newspapers-mention-bidens-age-more-twice-often-tr
umps
47
Zachary Pleat, Media Matters, “Media outlets are blaring about nonexistent “stagflation.” Economic
experts say they’re wrong,” May 1, 2024,
https://www.mediamatters.org/cnn/media-outlets-are-blaring-about-nonexistent-stagflation-economic-expe
rts-say-theyre-wrong
48
Sharon Kann, Stefanie Le, Sergio Munoz, and Lis Power, Media Matters, “Right-wing media ecosystem
has dominated the national immigration narrative,” April 29, 2021,
https://www.mediamatters.org/immigration/right-wing-media-ecosystem-has-dominated-national-immigrati
on-narrative
49
Harrison Ray, Media Matters, “National TV news largely ignored FBI report showing crime rates
declined significantly in 2023,” January 5, 2024,
https://www.mediamatters.org/crime-and-criminal-justice/national-tv-news-largely-ignored-fbi-report-showi
ng-crime-rates-declined
50
Julie Tulbert, Media Matters, “CNN and MSNBC have an abortion coverage problem. Here's how to fix
it,” October 10, 2019,
https://www.mediamatters.org/cnn/cnn-and-msnbc-have-abortion-coverage-problem-heres-how-fix-it
51
Julie Tulbert, Media Matters, “CNN gave an anti-abortion leader 11 minutes to spout bullshit including
the absurd claim that IVF can be murder,” June 28, 2022,
https://www.mediamatters.org/cnn/cnn-gave-anti-abortion-leader-11-minutes-spout-bullshit-including-absu
rd-claim-ivf-can-be
52
Allison Fisher, Media Matters, “How broadcast news programs covered climate and the 2024 election in
2023 — and what coverage should include going forward,” March 20, 2024,
https://www.mediamatters.org/media-matters-studies-climate-change-coverage/how-broadcast-news-prog
rams-covered-climate-and-2024
53
Matt Gertz, Media Matters, “Major news outlets gave much less coverage to Trump’s “vermin” attack
than they did Clinton’s “deplorables” remark,” November 28, 2023,
https://www.mediamatters.org/donald-trump/major-news-outlets-gave-much-less-coverage-trumps-vermin
-attack-then-they-did-clintons
54
Steve Inskeep, Substack, “How my NPR colleague failed at ‘viewpoint diversity,’” April 16, 2024,
https://steveinskeep.substack.com/p/how-my-npr-colleague-failed-at-viewpoint