The gloves are off.
On Tuesday, President Trump sent Congress his plan to defund public media. The White House, calling public media a “grift” that “has ripped us off for too long,” has declared that public radio and TV stations “spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’ ”
As a listener to NHPR, a reader of NHPR.org, or a fan of our podcasts or newsletters, you know that’s not true. You rely on New Hampshire Public Radio for in-depth, independent local news and information. Our journalists - your neighbors - report in the public interest, holding the powerful to account without fear or favor. That’s why NHPR this spring earned the first Peabody Award nomination in our 44-year history for Failures to Act, an investigation of six decades of abuse and neglect in New Hampshire’s juvenile justice system. It’s why we were a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for The 13th Step, our podcast about sexual misconduct in the addiction recovery industry. It’s why the readers of New Hampshire Magazine just selected NHPR as the state’s best radio station.
The President’s message to Congress starts a 45-day clock for the House and Senate to accept or reject his proposal to strip public media of nearly $1.1 billion of federal support over the next two years. The House could vote in a matter of days.
So now is your opportunity to speak truth to power.
Now, before it’s too late, call Sens. Hassen and Shaheen and your House member, Rep. Pappas or Rep. Goodlander. Ask them to line up support from their Congressional colleagues across the political spectrum to save federal funding for public media. Click here for instructions on how to place your calls. You also can send a letter or share your story about why public media matters to you. Ask a friend to call or write, too.
The price tag for federal support is just $1.60 per year for every American. For NHPR, that translates to about 6% of our budget. We leverage that funding to generate almost $16 in support from donors and sponsors for every $1 we get from Washington. This public-private partnership staffs the newsroom, programming, and podcast teams that keep Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Civics 101, Outside/In, The Folk Show, Bear Brook - in fact, everything we produce - free and accessible to people all across New Hampshire, and beyond.
The clock is ticking. Please, raise your voice now for NHPR and press freedom.
Jim Schachter
President & CEO
P.S. All in, it could cost NHPR almost $1 million a year to replace the funding we’d lose if the White House gets its way. If you can, make a gift or increase your sustaining gift today to help us fight this threat and continue producing the journalism and shows you rely on.
