Sam Martin, the Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs, recently wrote about the political controversy surrounding a U.S. Senate vote that cut $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Advocates of the cut claim public media is biased toward liberal views and should not be subsidized by the government.
In the article, published in The Conversation, Martin challenges this narrative with evidence showing that public broadcasting is generally rated as reliable and unbiased. Studies show little to no partisan bias in public media coverage, and surveys reveal public trust in public media is higher than in media overall. Martin explains how the U.S. public broadcasting system is structured to ensure editorial independence, unlike state-run media in countries like Hungary or Poland.
Martin argues that public media strengthens democracy by promoting civic engagement, media literacy and balanced reporting. She warns that cutting its funding could harm democratic discourse and increase vulnerability to disinformation.