A federal judge has knocked down the core of President Trump's executive order barring federal funding for NPR and PBS. But as WNIN’s John Gibson reports, it does not restore the funding:
D.C. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss says Trump’s executive order violated the First Amendment and is therefore "unlawful and unenforceable."
WNIN President and CEO Tim Black says it’s a victory for the First Amendment but it doesn’t bring back the funding that was lost:
"Those dollars remain gone and they will stay gone unless Congress decides to vote that funding back into effect."
WNIN and stations across Indiana also lost state funding in the most recent budget.
Under the Constitution, the U.S. government cannot discriminate against people on the basis of the views they express; for news outlets, it extends to news coverage.
NPR, Aspen Public Radio, Colorado Public Radio, and KSUT Public Radio in Colorado were all plaintiffs in the lawsuit.