It’s not surprising that President Trump has called for defunding NPR and PBS. They have been critically examining his first 100 days and debunking his claims of vast savings, and warning about the erosion of constitutional protections and the alienation of long-term allies.

Let’s be clear. The problem is not “Sesame Street,” “The History of the Vietnam War,” “Antiques Roadshow,” high school basketball or the emergency alert system. It’s the news. These programs examine important issues from all sides and provide historical context. They allow for uninterrupted discussions on the ramifications of various actions. Perhaps it is not the liberal bias, but rather the thoughtfulness and devotion to objective truth that has the president so exercised.

Many news outlets lean right, but most of the content is a repetitious lament about how awful the Democrats are. That’s it. Gathering real news from around the world is expensive and sometimes dangerous. Every democracy around the world has a public broadcasting system.

Tens of millions of Americans tune into NPR and PBS to follow the day’s events. It costs taxpayers pennies a year. Citizens would be wiser and better informed if they listened to these factual news reports rather than, or in addition to, the explicitly commercial stations with their constant interruptions for advertisements. Try it before pulling the plug.

Peter Pfeiffer
Solon