KTOO Public Media responds to White House executive order attacking public media funding

Last Thursday, President Trump issued an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and all federal agencies to cease federal funds, both directly and indirectly, to NPR and PBS.

It also attempts to restrict how local stations use their independent funding. This action jeopardizes the partnerships and funding that power the trusted journalism, educational programming and public safety messages that local communities rely on every day.

In response, KTOO President and General Manager Justin Shoman has issued the following statement:

“This executive order signals a deliberate and dangerous escalation in efforts to defund and dismantle public media. This is not about politics. This is about protecting a service that millions of Americans rely on every day — one that has enjoyed bipartisan support for over 50 years.

This order is coming on top of an expected rescission package from the White House that would claw back funding for public media that has already been appropriated by Congress. If this effort is successful, it will have an immediate impact on KTOO’s ability to provide services to our community by eliminating one third (1.2 million dollars) of our annual operating budget. The rescission package, originally expected last week, is now reported to be delayed; we don’t know how long.

In Juneau and throughout Alaska, public media plays a vital role in daily life. In many communities the local public radio station is the only locally owned and controlled media outlet and often the sole source of local information.

Local public radio and television stations are not partisan organizations, they are independent nonprofit institutions that strive to reflect the communities that they exist in. Station staff live and work in the communities they report on and provide residents with news, information, connection to each other and life-saving public safety alerts.

These services are deeply connected to the resources and collaborations provided by NPR, PBS and our statewide network. This includes our role in the Emergency Alert and Wireless Alerts Systems and our ability to report during and after natural disasters. Losing this funding would compromise our ability to continue this essential work.

For decades, stations like KTOO have been trusted sources of factual reporting, civil discourse, lifelong learning, and public safety. Our newsroom brings local issues to the national stage, made possible through a rich network of partnerships. We provide stories that don’t chase clicks, but change minds, open hearts and spread joy.

KTOO has provided Juneau with independent journalism, connected our community to the arts and promoted civic participation for more than a half century. KTOO has also connected every Alaskan to their state government by producing and distributing Gavel Alaska (previously called Gavel to Gavel) for thirty years. Our commitment to public service has allowed KTOO to become a cornerstone of public trust.”

You can help defend independent public media by joining Protect My Public Media today. You can also support KTOO directly with a donation. No matter what happens in Washington, D.C., KTOO Public Media’s mission to inform, engage and serve every member of our community remains unwavering.