Media News

Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR

The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trump's election.

Student filmmakers confess "I Dream in Widescreen."

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Film essayist Chris Dashiell; remembering James Mercer, a Pima County Ranger killed in action in 1914; and "Stories That Soar!" celebrates the sun.

Trump plans order to cut funding for NPR and PBS

President Trump is expected to propose rescinding $1.1 billion — two years worth of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Statement of Katherine Maher President and CEO, National Public Radio

Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency called leaders of NPR and PBS to testify at hearing on March 26.

WATCH LIVE: PBS and NPR leaders testify on federal support for public broadcasting in House hearing

The CEOs of NPR and PBS are appearing Wednesday before a House subcommittee on government efficiency, chaired by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

The new film "Corina" offers a compassionate look at living with anxiety.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: "A Book I Love" from the 2025 Tucson Festival of Books; "The Class of 2024" continues; and Mary Jo Pollack shares the story of earning her driver's license in 1964.

A bane for tyrants abroad, U.S.-funded networks fear fate under Kari Lake

U.S.-funded international networks reach more than 420 million people in more than 100 countries each week. Some network leaders fear that Lake intends to cancel all funding for them.

The Buzz: How public media is dealing with funding threats

This week we explore how proposed cuts to public media funding could hit rural and tribal stations the hardest, threatening vital news and emergency broadcasts.

PBS shutters DEI office

The public broadcaster says it is closing its Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office to comply with a recent executive order from President Donald Trump.

"Photographing with respect": How Tim H. Murphy creates unforgettable portraits of Indigenous dancers

Also on Arizona Spotlight: "Stories that Soar!" asks that we look for beauty beyond the screen; and an essay series "The Class of 2024" begins.

Micky Dolenz on what being a Monkee means to him.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: Invisible Theatre's production of "What the Constitution Means to Me"; and how Adiba Nelson's new children's book is a love letter to those seeking representation and a connection to spirituality.

How BICAS bridges bicycles, art and community.

Also on Arizona Spotlight: The story of Ittai Sopher, a former Arizona Spotlight producer who became a "Jeopardy" champion; Marquez Price on the value of doing a digital detox; and "Stories that Soar!" features young kids thinking about big emotions.

Sun Sounds

Reading on the radio for those who can't.

Street Names 2

Street Smarts columnist, David Leighton, tells us the stories behind some of Tucson’s most recognizable street names and they aren’t always what you’d expect.

Diagnosing the Divide

The 2016 U.S. presidential election was marked by unprecedented harshness, divisiveness and tension. What made it so different?