Statement on Major First Amendment Win for NPR and PBS

The First Amendment won today. 

The Committee for the First Amendment commends US District Judge Randolph Moss’s ruling blocking the Trump Administration's attempt to strip federal funding from NPR and PBS — a resounding rejection of government retaliation against a free press.  

As Judge Randolph Moss made clear, President Trump’s Executive Order to strip NPR and PBS of federal funding because of their “left-wing” coverage is unconstitutional. The First Amendment, the court ruled, simply “does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type.” 

While the Court’s ruling is a major victory for the First Amendment, it is crucial to remember that the Administration is conducting a broader and coordinated effort to erode press freedom, reshape the media, and bulldoze the First Amendment entirely. We see this plainly through the recent arrests of journalists, the targeting of artists who criticize the Administration, and the disintegration of an independent press through media mergers. 

The Committee will continue standing against every effort to undermine the First Amendment — be it through political retaliation against journalists, media consolidation that erodes newsroom independence, or any abuse of power that threatens foundational freedom on which this country was built. 

Today’s victory reaffirms the possibility that we can win and safeguard the First Amendment. Our work is far from over.