The decision to cancel Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show on CBS, along with the Republicans’ devastating cuts to public broadcasting constitutes a major threat to freedom, of speech, a cornerstone of our democracy — and that should have us all up in arms.
As my colleague, Mark M. Bello, wrote on Lean to the Left, “CBS didn’t just cancel The Late Show. They silenced the loudest satirical critic of Donald Trump on network television. (Jimmy Kimmel is a close second.)” And, shortly after the cancellation was announced, Trump gloated that Kimmel would be next.
So now we live in a country where media companies on whom many Americans have relied for coverage of the news and keeping us informed, are capitulating to Trump the Bully, with one (Paramount/CBS) even paying him millions of dollars as a settlement because of a 60 Minutes broadcast that he didn’t much like.
Trump has filed a lawsuit against Dow Jones, The Wall Street Journal, and two reporters seeking at least $10 billion in damages, punitive damages, and other relief. The suit claims that on July 17 reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo “co-authored and published an article largely focused on President Trump that falsely claimed that he authored, drew, and signed a card to wish the late—and utterly disgraced—Jeffrey Epstein a happy fiftieth birthday.”
So, he is continuing to bully the media — even the generally GOP-friendly Wall Street Journal — while attempting to enrich himself even further in the process.
All of that is bad. The President of the United States bulling media outlets in this way, as well as those corporate media organizations (CBS) capitulating, harkens back to other tyrants who silenced the media to keep people from knowing the truth. Think Adolph Hitler.
But even worse is Congress’ approval of legislation gutting $1.1 billion in funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System — an action that may well deprive communities that rely on NPR and PBS from receiving emergency alerts, children’s programming, and trusted local news.
Cutting that funding was not about saving Money, as Trump and his GOP butt-kissers claimed. It was about silencing independent journalism, pure and simple. All of this increases the importance of independent media, like this blog and podcast, as reliable resources of factual information.
Immediately after the House vote, NPR CEO Katherine Maher called the cut an “irreversible loss” to the public radio system. She said the effect would be “an unwarranted dismantling of beloved local civic institutions, and an act of Congress that disregards the public will.”
“Public funding has enabled the flourishing of a uniquely American system of unparalleled cultural, informational, and educational programming, and ensured access to vital emergency alerting and reporting in times of crisis — all for about $1.60 per American, every year. Parents and children, senior citizens and students, tribal and rural communities — all will bear the harm of this vote,” Maher said.
North Carolina Rep. Alma Adams was among the Democrats who defended public broadcasting. “When Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last year, public broadcasting was there when traditional communications failed,” she said. “Widespread power, cellular and internet outages meant that for thousands of North Carolinians, public radio was how they received their news.”
None of this is about saving money, as I said above. It is about controlling the media and the information that is disseminated so people can be informed and understand what is happening in the world around them, including Washington, DC. It’s what dictators do. It’s how they control their citizens.
Reporting after the House vote on the recision, NPR said that vote means the Corporate for Public Broadcasting (CPB) will lose $1.1 billion meant to fund it through the next two years. CPB acts as a conduit for federal money to NPR, PBS and their member stations. Although NPR, which produces news programs such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered, relies on direct federal funds for only a small portion of its budget, its approximately 1,000 member stations get a heftier portion of their operating revenue through CPB, explained NPR.
The network warned that many of those stations — especially those broadcasting to rural areas or to underserved audiences, such as Native Americans — could be forced to close as a result of the funding rollback.
“These cuts will significantly impact all of our stations, but will be especially devastating to smaller stations and those serving large rural areas,” said PBS CEO and President Paula Kerger. “Many of our stations which provide access to free unique local programming and emergency alerts will now be forced to make hard decisions in the weeks and months ahead.”
If what Trump and his GOP backers in Congress are doing is meant to satisfy their right-wing supporters who believe Trump’s claims that public broadcasting is a tool of the left and its programming is “woke,” they are speaking to a dwindling crowd.
A Harris Poll last week found that 66% of Americans support federal funding for public radio, with the same share calling it a good value. Support included 58% of Republicans and 77% of Democrats. The online poll surveyed 2,089 U.S. adults with a 2.5 percentage point margin of error. The 34% who do not support federal funding for public radio about equals Trump’s hard-core MAGA supporters.
It’s time — past time — for people to wake up, MAGA included. Our country is in dire danger, and this is just one example. More efforts at censorship and media control undoubtedly lie ahead.
It’s all about mind control. Your mind.
Is that what you voted for?
Bob Gatty is founder, publisher and editor of Lean to the Left and producer/host of the Lean to the Left podcast. He is co-author, with CJ Waldron, of the three-book series, “Hijacked Nation, Donald Trump’s attack on America’s greatness.”
