Since its premiere in the late 1960s on the National Education Television network, which transformed into the Public Broadcasting Service in 1970, “Sesame Street” has been one of the most popular educational children's television series. Elmo, the show’s star, has been the primary face of kindness and love for preschoolers worldwide in the show’s 50-plus years on air.
Recently, PBS, along with National Public Radio, an independent, non-profit organization that informs the public through its daily stories, became a target of the Trump administration’s agenda to dismantle “ideological bias” in primary public broadcasters.
Both organizations were subjected to federal funding cuts after Trump signed an executive order on May 1 aimed at ending “taxpayer subsidization of biased media.” The White House explained on its website that the order aimed to decrease the social media platforms’ funding because they spread “radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”
The order demanded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and other federal agencies “cease federal funding for NPR and PBS,” according to a PBS article posted a day after the order was signed.
CPB later questioned Trump’s ability to make such an executive order and sued the administration. This adds to an already pending lawsuit after Trump tried firing three of the company’s five executive board members.
In its more recent lawsuit, CPB clarified it isn’t a federal executive agency subject to the president's authority.
The executive order states, “Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence” — a disheartening statement to see.
Many Republican and far-right loyalists truly believe NPR and PBS are biased and spread far-left propaganda to influence the public. Making these statements as the President of the United States of America is propaganda in itself.
Trump’s executive orders are excessively unconstitutional, such as his attempt to ban birthright citizenship and his decision to end federally funded inclusive programs. Freedom of the press, which is protected under the First Amendment, is being violated by his unlawful political biases.
More importantly, his executive order defunding PBS and NPR begs the question of how much power the president has. It stops news stations and educational television programs from serving their communities free of cost.
PBS Kids, where the iconic, red-furred Muppet character airs, has a positive psychological impact on children. Shows like “The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!” increased children’s understanding of science from an early age.
Without shows like “Sesame Street,” children might not receive the same fun, interactive educational experiences. The show was originally designed to educate children from low-income families, many being African American.
Teaching early academic and basic social skills at a young age through a free educational television program is extraordinary, especially for single parents who may not have the time to teach these skills to their children every day.
With limited access to important news and education programs, many Americans are completely against this new wave of directed hatred towards “woke propaganda” and dismantling education in any way possible.
People continue to protest the Trump administration for jeopardizing the institutions that have benefited the country for so long. It’s neither fair nor safe that citizens have to suffer under an extremist president who is supposed to drive our country to success.
Education is more than political. It helps us avoid repeating our past mistakes. Knowledge is power, and everyone should have access to it, whether it be through schools, social media, television series or personal experiences.
We should keep our eyes on the government and continue to educate ourselves and those around us about the importance of accessible and educational media through organizations like PBS and NPR.
Sonaiya Brown is a UF biology freshman.
Sonaiya Brown is a freshman photographer for Summer 2025. In her free time, she enjoys sleeping, listening to music, and most importantly, talking to her senior puppies a lot.
