The End of a Public Discourse
The announcement of the defunding of the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a reminder of the fascism that is here
When it comes to the current Trump regime, the hits just keep on coming. At the beginning of August it was announced that Congress has voted to end funding to the CPB to the tune of $500 million. On the heels of the Big Beautiful Bill (I use a pejorative in place of “bill” that can’t be printed here) that already will defund everything from education to healthcare in one fell swoop, and separately the Department of Education rescinding a grant of more than $23 million meant specifically for children’s programming and games, this latest gut punch to the country's social net feels like a sucker punch as well. Taken from its website, the CPB is
a private, non-profit corporation created by the U.S. Congress in 1967. It serves as the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting, distributing funds to over 1,500 local public radio and television stations nationwide. CPB's mission is to ensure all Americans have access to quality, non-commercial educational programming and services.
The CPB is effectively a government clearinghouse to disperse tax dollars allocated to public programming across the country. You might immediately think of PBS or NPR when you hear this, and you’d be absolutely correct, though thankfully much of their funding is actually from other sources and they get only a marginal amount from the CPB. But that is the last of the good news because what the CPB does largely fund — programming that won’t survive without it — are the original local broadcasts and events that serve smaller regional, rural communities who will not have the means to fill the gap left by the CPB’s defunding.
For example, independent radio broadcasters such as WBAI that operate in numerous American markets will no longer exist, meaning valuable local community news and discourse will no longer be on the airwaves. Shows that highlight the stories of these communities and art from these areas now do not have a home. Additionally, the CPB provided funding for local TV and radio stations to expand their programming, as well as funding to organizations like the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), Black Public Media (BPM), Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) and Vision Maker Media. The support to these organizations ensured that as many voices as possible across the country would be represented to the public through focused programming. Most importantly, public broadcasting served as an early warning mechanism for disasters and other emergencies (think the recent flash flood tragedy in Texas that killed over 100 people). Supplemental educational programming for children as well now no longer has a true home, and what may take its place will be heavily right-wing partisan and limited in its representation.
Almost from the CPB’s inception, conservatives have targeted the type of programming it funds as a “liberal bias” that undermines true American values and falsely puts their agenda in a negative light. That idea has always been unfounded but it has persisted, and now one of the greatest examples of a seemingly healthy democracy is all but gone. Since way before Trump’s regime there has been a long-standing right-wing plan to find a way to eliminate it (as well as public education, but I digress). The climate and tides have changed now, however, because Trump has allowed Congress the strength to finally undo this very impartial, vital service to American citizens, which is paid for by American citizens’ tax dollars. The reality is that private media is actually at its most biased in history and at this present time the most right leaning it has ever been.
Public programming offered not only an alternative to this but a balance of representation of and exposure to important and critical information, history, identities and ideas that combined to give a fuller picture of the American consciousness and reality, rather than narrow them. But for a regime that is looking to assert and cement authoritarian dominance and to “control the narrative,” a decently funded media network that for all intents and purposes was in the hands of local communities is one of the most serious threats to its existence. As an anti-propaganda tool, public programming might be the largest and the least tainted by corporate or government interests. Sadly, its Achilles’ heel is government funding, and even with public donations and independent support from viewers and subscribers, administrators from the institution have stated that it won’t be enough to make up the $500 million gap.
What is most dangerous for us as a community and as citizens is no longer will there be a free public resource that was a source not only of entertainment but of education and safety as well. For now, some of the big critical shows are safe, but the underpinnings and foundations of the idea of a nonpartisan counter to private commercialized programming that serves the public interest have been removed. And this makes the environment even more fertile for the seeds of fFascism to continue to grow. Public broadcasting is a natural deterrent to an authoritarian voice, simply by being programming made for and by the people, and, through taxpayer dollars, funded by them as well. The challenge on the horizon will be to find unbiased, nonpartisan information and views that are alternative to private programming that serves government interests or at best doesn’t actively look to confront or run counter to them, making sure its messaging and ideas are in lockstep with the head of the regime in power.
Public broadcasting was never immune from or invulnerable to outside influence or attack, but for the 50 years it existed in this form, it still was the best resource the public had. Unlike social media, which is easily co-opted and countered because of who controls the algorithm and the glut of counterprogramming that exists there, public programming has always been controlled by the people it serves. Starting in January, that will no longer be the case. Hopefully, something will rise to take its place. In the meantime, though, we are all too aware that our basic freedoms and democracy are being eroded further and more desperate times are to come.
