New Report Blows Lid Off of Democrat Doomcasting on Federal Defunding of NPR and PBS

As it usually is with just about every funding loss or decrease in percentage of future federal funding, Democrats and their media allies really poured on the doomcasting with respect to the long overdue Congressional yanking of taxpayer dollars from NPR and PBS.

For instance, as RedState reported, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) trotted out the "matter of life and death" card in defense of continued funding of the two liberally biased public "news" organizations, stating during a Senate floor speech amid the debate that "These cuts to local stations couldn't happen at a worse time, with floods and natural disasters front of mind."

"And sometimes, all too often, public broadcasting is the only way for people to hear what's going on," he also went on to proclaim without evidence. "It's a matter of life and death. So why is Donald Trump so hellbent on taking away funding from local stations that can literally save lives?"

As Republicans have often said, though, if Democrats love NPR and PBS so much, they - especially the well-to-do ones - should be able to make up for any lost funding with donations out of their own deep pockets. This is a point accidentally proven by woke musician Sheryl Crow back in February when she virtue signaled over her Tesla sale and vowed to give the proceeds from it to NPR:

Sheryl Crow says she has sold her Tesla and donated the proceeds to NPR.

“My parents always said... you are who you hang out with.
There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with. So long Tesla. Money donated to NPR, which is under threat by… pic.twitter.com/W9mZHWVovc
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) February 15, 2025

As further evidence, we turn to the New York Times, which revealed Thursday that private donor funding for NPR and PBS has "exploded" in the aftermath of their defunding:

scoop: donations to NPR and PBS stations have exploded, with donors across the country giving in unprecedented numbers since Congress cut federal funding https://t.co/FbfzTTfBqF
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) July 24, 2025

From the story:

But public radio listeners and public television viewers have been stepping in to help fill the gap, delivering a surge of donations.
Over the last three months, as the prospect of the cuts intensified, roughly 120,000 new donors have contributed an estimated $20 million in annual value, said Michal Heiplik, the president and chief executive of the Contributor Development Partnership, a firm that analyzes public media fund-raising data. Overall, donations committed to public media for the year are about $70 million higher than last year.

Though they still have a ways to go to make up for the $535 million/year lost, the results so far appear to confirm that all the doomcasting from the Usual Suspects was, as usual, way overblown:

There are encouraging signs that the new donors aren’t just making one-time contributions. A greater share of them — up 51 percent from last year — are becoming sustaining members, who contribute on a recurring basis, Mr. Heiplik said.

Survey says:

So they didn’t need my tax dollars.

Thanks for clarifying. https://t.co/vd2tosY70Q
— Amy Curtis (@RantyAmyCurtis) July 24, 2025

Indeed.

Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.

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