Defend, Not Defund NPR and PBS

National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service, also known as PBS, are staples in American culture woven intrinsically into the country's cultural fabric, providing valuable resources.

Public media aren't elitist forms of left-wing media, they're for everyday people and citizens. It's tough to imagine a country without Sesame Street and Arthur, and there are plenty more reasons, for adults too, why NPR and PBS deserve protection, not destruction. Public broadcast media host diverse services and offerings to the general public, including news, entertainment, arts, education, radio broadcasts, podcasts, music, and more with broad-reaching benefits.

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Accessible and Trustworthy News

American citizens rely on accurate, timely information and news journalism from public media platforms like NPR and PBS, which have been around for decades. NPR's Morning Edition has existed for 46 years, and NPR has been providing accurate journalism for 55 years. According to Aaron Write in his 2025 piece National Public Radio, the first NPR broadcast aired live on April 20, 1971, covering deliberations on the Vietnam War. Through wide programs like PBS News Hour and All Things Considered, listeners and viewers can receive updates on their society, culture, world, and events at no cost to themselves.

Uniquely, platforms like PBS and NPR connect issues from a local to a national level, inspire the young and old to remain engaged in civic and cultural conversations, and bolster trust among the country's citizens. Polls show that PBS is still one of the most trusted sources of information and news in the US. Reporting on PBS NewsHour, NPR's Morning Edition, and All Things Considered present news with an even keel and clarity while avoiding sensationalism. Additionally, the low costs of these platforms encourage accessibility unlike other commercial providers so that communities like the retired, disabled, and low-income can enjoy enrichment. To specify, through PBS and NPR, communities can access unbiased civic discussions, interviews, and continual, lifelong learning.

Not Just News, But Art and Education

NPR isn't just a news station, it also provides access to cultural points like music and art. A more recent example is the Tiny Desk Concert podcast, which elevates musicians' work and performances. There are also countless, invaluable podcasts through NPR, including Code Switch, which covers subjects about racial equality, Life Kit, which provides viewers with life advice, Planet Money, a blog and podcast that creatively educates its audiences on economic issues and how they relate to everyday life, and more.

While it's argued that NPR and PBS don't deserve federal funding because they're one-sided news sources, this is simply false, provided the cultural and artistic resources they also are. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car as a child and listening to NPR's shows and discovering music through them, and today they host a show dedicated completely to music discovery called All Songs Considered. To me, it reflects how critical NPR is to American citizens' everyday lives.

I wouldn't be who I am, nor could I have achieved what I have without the arts, and I'm puzzled by arguments against art funding. NPR and PBS provide access to arts and cultural touchstones for everyone, regardless of their backgrounds, which I can't advocate for or defend enough. For instance, recent '24 study published in the Frontiers on Public Health Journal by Scientists at Angela Ruskin University found a connection between creativity and mental wellbeing and overall satisfaction with life. Whether it's music, crafts, writers, poets, or cooks, NPR and PBS to me are a gateway for anyone to gain valuable arts and cultural exposure, which creates better, happier citizens in turn.

PBS has particularly thought-provoking entertainment programs. Great examples are the shows NOVA and Nature, which explore themes of science, technology, and the natural world and encourage audiences to consider their connection to the world around them. Also, shows like these go beyond the images on the screen; rather, they foster real-world, positive impacts on their audiences that can reverberate into society at large. Commercial TV may focus more on entertainment rather than thought-provoking substance, which is important for the American people to have access to. In other words, programs on NPR and PBS are uniquely enriching to the hearts of American citizens, and aren't simply low-quality.

It Takes a Village

As somebody who has worked as a Teacher's Assistant (TA) and in other childcare positions, I know how important it is to invest in childhood education, especially for early childhood years. Whether or not you're passionate about children like I am, everyone is a child once. Children grow into adults who will one day occupy and drive the nation forward. In my view, PBS is a pillar in this country's investment in its youth, education for children, and exposure to positive influences for children. Not all families can afford private lessons for their children to learn niche subjects or simply to occupy their time constructively, which is why PBS, a free-of-cost broadcasting service, is critical to families with children in the US and deserves protection and defense.

PBS offers an array of educational programs and Television shows that I can't recommend enough, including Arthur, Curious George, The Cat in the Hat, Sesame Street, Clifford, and Cyberchase. I've used shows like these working with children, and the response of love is overwhelmingly across the board. Educational TV for young children, of such quality, is rare and hard to come by and is worth defending.

Due to programs and offerings like the aforementioned, young children can establish skills in different areas, including social skills, emotional intelligence, STEM, and more. Working American families can't be expected to teach every detail in every existing subject on Earth. As the old saying, "It takes a village," goes, PBS for many regular families is a part of the village!

Public Broadcasting Media Helps Adults

I won't deny the benefits of PBS and NPR to adults, too. Education doesn't end after school, these days there is a concept of "lifelong learning." Lifelong learning is becoming important to people of many cultural and economic identifiers. PBS and NPR have long supported lifelong learning through services and offerings. Curious adult learners can choose from a variety of Television programs and reports, which provide in-depth explorations of science, history, and culture that are accurately portrayed. The tone of public broadcasting media is uniquely un-hurried and unencumbered by the demands of advertising and commercialism, making it a popular and strong choice for adults and families in the US.

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As discussed, public broadcasting media like NPR and PBS uniquely connect communities to greater society. According to information on PBS.org/events, PBS often partners with local entities including parks, libraries, senior centers, and educational institutions to host workshops, screenings, and discussions fostering in-person community involvement. In my birthplace of North Carolina, a beloved weekend TV program is North Carolina Weekend which teaches about significant points in North Carolina culture and history eloquently. This is a rare feature of a programming organization, and it may be difficult to find comparable offerings from a typical commercial media platform.

PBS and NPR alike reflect core American values on their media that the country was founded on: equality, education, and civic responsibility. Reporting across channels emphasizes thoughtful, unbiased discussion on complex topics, educating citizens and equipping them to make informed decisions in their communities. Countless award-winning shows on PBS, including Sherlock, Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, and more do more than just entertain, they instruct, inspire, and invigorate viewers and listeners to become better individuals and citizens of their country.

Protecting Public Media and Further Actions

In summation, NPR and PBS offer thoughtful and relevant storytelling and reporting with insight, without the weight of commercial demands, thus exposing American adults to valuable information to become better and happier citizens. To keep defending NPR and PBS, easily contact Congress via the petition form on Save Public Media, and like and share the blog to keep informed.

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