In a February 16 editorial, The Washington Times called for defunding public broadcasting, stating that it's “time to pull the plug on [the] NPR subsidy” and that "[s]o long as NPR draws from public coffers, its objectivity will be compromised. The cleanest and most compelling solution to this problem is to cut the subsidy completely." The Times further wrote: "[T]he First Amendment is under assault by the Obama administration. Taxpayers shouldn't be paying for its propaganda network."

From the Times' editorial, titled, “Welfare for public radio”:

Public broadcasting cannot simultaneously be a creature of the state and serve the necessary Fourth Estate function as a government watchdog. So long as NPR draws from public coffers, its objectivity will be compromised. The cleanest and most compelling solution to this problem is to cut the subsidy completely. If federal largesse only makes up a fraction of NPR funding, as its defenders habitually maintain, it can easily be made up by other means such as private donations or by licensing PBS programming to cable and satellite stations. Perhaps a little market discipline would help NPR sharpen its operations and be more responsive to listeners.

[...]

Americans like to think government censorship and attacks on a free press are problems in authoritarian lands far, far away. But here at home, the First Amendment is under assault by the Obama administration. Taxpayers shouldn't be paying for its propaganda network.

Previously:

Johnson Joins Right-Wing Calls To Defund Public Broadcasting

Fox uses Juan Williams as excuse to continue its longstanding campaign against NPR