NPR CEO Testifies amid Defunding Debates in Congress

NPR CEO Katherine Maher faced intense scrutiny during a congressional hearing where Republican lawmakers criticized the organization for perceived political bias and questioned the necessity of public funding for NPR. Maher defended NPR's commitment to unbiased reporting, despite being called out for a lack of political diversity among its editorial staff, which reportedly consists of 87 registered Democrats and no Republicans. House Republicans expressed frustration over NPR's coverage of certain topics, particularly the Hunter Biden laptop story, which they felt was inadequately addressed. Democrats countered the hearing's agenda by highlighting the importance of public media for educational and community purposes. Critics of NPR, including Maher, argued that the attacks were politically motivated and not reflective of the network's actual operations. As calls to defund NPR intensify, the debate over public media's role in American journalism continues to heat up.