In response to the resignation of a veteran editor and accusations of liberal bias at National Public Radio (NPR), Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is advocating for an end to federal funding for the outlet. Blackburn expressed her concerns during an interview with Fox News Digital, stating that NPR has become a propagandist left-wing outlet that fails to represent the voices of half the country.

The veteran editor, Uri Berliner, who had been with NPR for 25 years covering business news, announced his departure on social media. In his resignation statement, he affirmed his respect for his colleagues and wished for NPR to continue its important journalism. However, he cited a "divisive" new CEO and a lack of open-mindedness within NPR as reasons for leaving.

Berliner also penned a piece in The Free Press, published on April 9, where he criticized NPR's coverage of the allegations of collusion between Donald Trump and Russia in 2016. He further criticized the network for largely ignoring The Washington Post's bombshell reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop and the first family's foreign business interests during the 2020 election.

Berliner claimed that his concerns were not effectively addressed by the network's top brass and that an open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR. He expressed disappointment in the network's refusal to cover stories that were deemed distractions by the managing editor at the time.

NPR's decision to suspend Berliner was made public on Tuesday but was officially implemented last Friday. The network's CEO, Katherine Maher, has faced criticism for her past social media posts championing progressive causes and labeling Trump as a "racist." She characterized Berliner's critique as "profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning" in a letter to NPR staffers.

NPR claims that government grants, including those from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), contribute approximately 1% of its budget. In CPB's fiscal year 2024/2026 request, they sought $127.94 million for public radio station grants. NPR reported a total revenue of $309 million for fiscal year 2022, according to its financial statements.

Conservatives have long criticized NPR, accusing its news coverage of being biased towards the left. Senator Blackburn herself previously supported legislation in 2011 to reduce CPB's budget by approximately $50 million while serving in the House of Representatives.

As of now, neither Senator Blackburn's office nor NPR have responded to requests for comments from The Washington Post regarding the matter.

It remains to be seen whether Senator Blackburn's call to end federal funding for NPR will gain traction, as the debate over media bias and government funding continues to be a contentious issue.