The House Energy & Commerce Committee, led by Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., has sent a letter to NPR CEO Katherine Maher, expressing concerns about the organization’s alleged liberal bias. The committee has summoned Maher to testify before Congress and has requested a list of documents related to political diversity in NPR’s newsroom.
The committee’s letter cites concerns raised by former NPR editor Uri Berliner, who resigned after being suspended for criticizing the outlet’s coverage of the Hunter Biden laptop story and COVID-19 lab leak theories. Berliner alleged that registered Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans in the newsroom, 87-0.
The committee also cited Maher’s own past statements, including a 2021 TED Talk in which she said, ‘Our reverence for the truth might be a distraction that’s getting in the way of finding common ground and getting things done.’
The committee has asked Maher to answer their questions on NPR’s history by May 14. Maher has previously criticized the backlash against NPR, accusing her detractors of ‘bad faith distortion’ of her views and statements.
NPR has been accused of liberal bias for many years, and some conservatives have called for the organization to be defunded. The House Energy & Commerce Committee’s investigation is the latest development in the ongoing debate over NPR’s political leanings.
