New Book Claims NPR Newsroom Hosted Cocaine Dealer, Debauchery in 1970s-80s

Veteran journalist Steve Oney's new book reveals that National Public Radio (NPR) had a cocaine dealer on staff during the late 1970s and early 1980s, who supplied cocaine to employees via the NPR intercom system. The newsroom culture at that time was characterized by a countercultural atmosphere of sex, drugs, and rock & roll, with staff often engaging in recreational drug use and workplace affairs, and sometimes using cocaine to fuel late-night work sessions. Oney describes NPR's early years as a collective of young, ambitious reporters operating more like college stations rather than a politically driven organization. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in May 2025 to cease federal funding to NPR and PBS, citing concerns over biased and partisan news coverage, which led NPR and several public radio stations to file a lawsuit claiming the order violates First Amendment rights and congressional authority over funding. Congress is also considering a package that would rescind significant funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which oversees NPR and PBS. Oney suggests that NPR's future will be determined more by audience reinvention than government intervention.