House Republicans summon NPR CEO for hearing on 'rampant' bias allegations

FIRST ON FOX: The House Energy & Commerce Committee is summoning nan caput of NPR earlier Congress to reply accusations nan outlet has a left-wing bias contempt receiving federal funds.

"The Committee has concerns astir nan guidance successful which NPR whitethorn beryllium headed nether past and coming leadership. As a payer funded, nationalist power organization, NPR should attraction connected adjacent and nonsubjective news reporting that some considers and reflects nan views of nan larger U.S. organization and not conscionable a niche audience," Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., wrote to NPR CEO Katherine Maher.

She led Morgan Griffith, R-Va., chair of nan subcommittee connected oversight, and Bob Latta, R-Ohio, chair of nan subcommittee connected communications and technology, successful asking Maher to publically attest earlier Griffith’s sheet adjacent week.

"You are requested to look earlier nan Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee for a proceeding connected May 8, 2024, to explicate nan allegations of governmental and ideological bias rampant astatine NPR," they wrote.

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The House Energy & Commerce Committee, led by Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, is probing NPR and its CEO, Katherine Maher. (Getty Images)

The lawmakers besides sent Maher a database of questions, including astir nan governmental affiliations of registered voters moving successful nan newsroom and whether immoderate concerns were raised successful caller years by NPR’s committee of board astir governmental diverseness successful their workplace.

The committee besides asked for immoderate soul written materials regarding a deficiency of viewpoint diverseness wrong NPR.

Conservatives person agelong accused NPR of reporting pinch a left-wing bias while immoderate of its backing is provided done national grants and different government-backed dollars.

Those concerns were precocious magnified erstwhile erstwhile NPR editor Uri Berliner asserted successful an op-ed that nan outlet mishandled captious stories that stemmed from Hunter Biden’s laptop difficult thrust and COVID-19 laboratory leak theories, among others, and that registered Democrats were vastly overrepresented successful nan newsroom, 87-0.

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Former NPR editor Uri Berliner levied accusations of bias against nan outlet. (JP Yim/WireImage)

"We besides find it disconcerting that NPR’s sum of awesome news successful caller years has been truthful polarized arsenic to preclude immoderate request to uncover nan truth. These person included news stories connected matters of nationalist information and importance, specified arsenic nan Mueller report, nan Hunter Biden laptop, and nan COVID-19 origins investigation. On each of these issues, NPR has been accused of approaching its news reporting pinch an utmost left-leaning lens," nan lawmakers wrote.

They besides took rumor pinch Maher’s ain past statements, including a 2021 TED Talk successful which she said, according to nan letter, "Our reverence for nan truth mightiness beryllium a distraction that’s getting successful nan measurement of uncovering communal crushed and getting things done."

"You yourself person stated that you position nan First Amendment arsenic ‘the number 1 challenge’ because reside protections make it ‘tricky’ to suppress ‘bad information’ and nan ‘influence peddlers who person made a existent marketplace system astir it.’’ Ironically, some you and NPR person utilized nan aforesaid First Amendment to protect your ain views and statements," they wrote. 

"In 2020, you took rumor because The New York Times chose to people an op-ed written by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, calling nan portion ‘full of racist canine whistles.’"

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They asked that Maher reply their questions connected NPR’s history by May 14.

Maher criticized nan backlash against NPR successful an question and reply pinch The Wall Street Journal past week, accusing her detractors of "bad religion distortion" of her views and statements.

Fox News Digital reached retired to NPR for remark connected nan letter.