ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jane Kirtley

Jane E. Kirtley is the Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law and director of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. She is also an affiliated faculty member at the University of Minnesota Law School.

POSTS BY Jane Kirtley

24 July 2025

Jane Kirtley

An Elusive Touchdown with a Political Football

On July 19, Congress voted to revoke funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – something it has not done in the 60 years since its creation. In countries with strong public media traditions, this may seem astonishing: why would Congress defund NPR and PBS after already having appropriated the money? And what does this mean for the First Amendment?To answer these questions, we must consider the peculiar history of public broadcasting in the United States. Continue reading >>