Carbondale Reporter

Joshua Loyd, Republican candidate for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, has expressed his support of President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to cut federal funding to NPR and PBS, describing claims that the move threatens press freedom as “fictitious and absurd.”

Loyd did not hold back in pointing out NPR's structure and public funding.

“NPR has been at the center of a controversy for its perceived political bias while reporting,” Loyd told the Carbondale Reporter. 

The political leanings of NPR’s Washington, D.C. staff has been pointed to as evidence of partisan bias. 

“The editorial staff at NPR (in D.C.) is 87 Democrats and 0 Republicans, which seems to be highly problematic for a ‘non-biased’ station,” Loy said. “That's like saying 'chocolate chip cookie' in reference to a Hershey's bar – all chocolate, no cookie.” 

Loyd challenged claims by NPR-affiliated outlets—such as the Chicago Sun-Times, which receives $2 million annually through its parent company, Chicago Public Media—that defunding public media threatens journalistic independence.

“The claim that this, the direct defunding by the federal government, is a ‘Threat to the Press’ is baloney,” he said. “If the executive order were to limit the number of days of broadcasting from 30 to 10, to cut down on large-capacity reporting, limit the amount that the volume could decrease, and designate areas to listen/ watch NPR/PBS, then it may be considered an assault on the press. But by and large, no, the claim that this is an assault on the press is fictitious and absurd.”Loyd also raised concerns about the complexity of NPR’s funding model and its indirect ties to public money.

“NPR is a national organization and receives private donations to help support the station, primarily from school districts, universities, and other collegiate institutions,” he said. “It should be noted that only around 1% actually comes directly from the US government. While the rest comes from membership fees by the member stations, many of these member stations are also government-funded, meaning the actual percentage funded by the government could be much higher.” 

Trump’s executive order asserts that public funding for NPR and PBS is outdated in the modern, diversified media landscape and insists that government resources should only support content that is fair, accurate and nonpartisan. 

The order followed a congressional hearing where NPR CEO Katherine Maher admitted to editorial omissions—including avoiding major political stories involving Democrats—and faced tough questions about her past statements on First Amendment protections and social media posts about “America’s addiction to white supremacy."

In The Free Press, former then NPR editor Uri Berliner exposed what he called a “relentless leftward drift” at the organization, arguing that NPR has alienated large segments of the American public by promoting a narrow ideological worldview.

Berliner also cited NPR’s refusal to report on the Hunter Biden laptop story, which revealed financial ties between the Biden family and international influence operations and was incorrectly labeled as a “Russian disinformation” campaign— a narrative supported by NPR’s coverage. 

He also noted NPR’s persistent focus on racially charged narratives as a major failure of editorial balance.

Conservative watchdogs have rallied behind the defunding move, with groups like the Media Research Center and Americans for Tax Reform. Rapid Response 47, a political advocacy group, went so far as to call NPR and PBS vehicles for radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”

Before the executive order, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) received approximately $535 million annually from Congress, which it allocated to public radio and television stations, including affiliates like the Chicago Sun-Times.

Carbondale is served by two outlets that will be affected: WSIU (91.9 FM), an NPR member station, and its sister station, WSIU-TV (Channel 8), which serves as the local PBS affiliate.

Loyd, a Republican from Murphysboro, Illinois, is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District in the 2026 general election. 

A graduate of Carbondale Community High School and the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 2022, Loyd also served in the U.S. Army. He previously ran for the same seat in 2024, ultimately losing to Democratic incumbent Nikki Budzinski, who secured 58.1% of the vote to Loyd’s 41.9%. 

Now seeking a rematch, Loyd is one of four declared candidates in the 2026 race, alongside Budzinski, Democrat Dylan Blaha and fellow Republican Jeff Wilson. 

The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.