Donald Trump is no fan of NPR, but that isn't stopping the publicly funded news organization from thriving from donations.
Federal funding for public radio only makes up about 1 percent of NPR’s overall budget, but still, losing it would be a blow.
“Elimination of federal funding would result in fewer programs, less journalism — especially local journalism — and, eventually, the loss of public radio stations, particularly in rural and economically distressed communities,” NPR vice president Mike Riksen told the. “We are fully engaged with policymakers to ensure a complete understanding of federal funding and its importance to our stations and the public media system.
Despite being in the president’s crosshairs, though, donations to NPR have been spiking, especially immediately after Trump says something to disparage the organization. In the days after he sent that tweet, for example, donations to Southern California Public Radio rose 250 percent, while contributions to public station KMUW in Wichita, Kansas saw an immediate 90 percent spike.
Still, donations are a small part of any public radio station’s budget. The bulk of their fees comes from corporate sponsorships and fees from affiliate stations. While politically charged spikes in donations to these stations are certainly helpful, they’re in less danger than it might appear, even while being actively attacked by the president.
It’s all the more reason, especially if you live in one of those rural areas, to support your local public radio today. In the age of fake news, we need comprehensive, unbiased news more than ever.