NPR CEO Katherine Maher will receive Harper's Magazine's "First Amendment Award" later this month despite her past criticism of the amendment.
asserted
Maher → receive → amendment
"As president and CEO of NPR, Katherine Maher has guided one of America’s most important public media institutions through a period of extraordinary political, legal, and financial scrutiny, reaffirming journalism’s essential role in a democratic society," the magazine said in a press release earlier this year about Maher receiving the James C. Goodale First Amendment Award on Oct. 26.
asserted
Maher → guide → Oct.
Harper's Magazine also claimed that Maher led NPR "through a period of heightened scrutiny and challenge" along with "successfully battling" President Donald Trump's efforts to defund NPR, though Congress still rescinded $1.1 billion in federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 2025.
asserted
Congress → claim → 2025
Although the magazine hailed Maher as an advocate for journalism, Maher has not always been supportive of the First Amendment as a whole.
asserted
Maher → hail → whole
In 2021, when Maher was the CEO of Wikimedia, which oversees Wikipedia, she discussed efforts to combat disinformation and considered the First Amendment a "challenge" in that goal.
asserted
Amendment → oversee → goal
"The number one challenge here that we see is, of course, the First Amendment in the United States.
asserted
we → see → States
[It] is a fairly robust protection of rights and that is a protection of rights both for platforms, which I actually think is very important that platforms have those rights to be able to regulate what kind of content they want on their sites," Maher said.
asserted
Maher → think → sites
She added, "But it also means that it is a little bit tricky to really address some of the real challenges of where does bad information come from, and sort of the influence peddlers who have made a real market economy around it."
asserted
who → add → it
NPR has also had a history of questionable journalism.
asserted
NPR → have → journalism
Most notably, NPR declined to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020 ahead of the presidential election in what many critics saw as an effort to protect then-presidential candidate Joe Biden.
asserted
critics → decline → Biden
Maher, who was not appointed NPR CEO until 2024, later conceded that the publication "made a mistake."
asserted
publication → appoint → mistake
"I do want to say that NPR acknowledges we were mistaken in failing to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story more aggressively and sooner," Maher said during congressional testimony in 2025.
asserted
Maher → want → 2025
Fox News Digital reached out to Harper's Magazine for comment.
asserted
Digital → reach → comment
Tim Graham, executive editor of the media watchdog NewsBusters, told Fox News Digital, "Harper's Magazine is demonstrating the usual liberal impulse, that being fiercely critical of Trump and the Republicans is what the First Amendment is all about.
asserted
Amendment → tell → what
But NPR didn't hold President Biden accountable.
asserted
Biden → hold → ?
Instead, they insisted that covering corruption in Biden's family was a 'distraction.'
asserted
covering → insist → family
"
"Their explanation for this pride is that Maher courageously fought off defunding NPR, which, of course, is not true.
asserted
which → fight → course
They are defunded.
asserted
They → defunde → ?
Liberals believe depriving NPR of taxpayer subsidies is some sort of First Amendment violation.
asserted
depriving → believe → violation
But it's not a First Amendment violation for NPR to avoid having any Trump-supporting conservatives on their airwaves to push back on all their liberal bias," he continued.
asserted
he → avoid → bias
"These people have no shame that Maher championed aggressive censorship of ‘bad information,’ just as European socialist countries have done.
asserted
countries → have → information
Maher said in a 2021 TED Talk that the First Amendment was a ‘challenge,’ a hurdle, something that makes censorship ‘a little bit trickier.’
asserted
censorship → say → Talk
How does that deserve a First Amendment award??" he asked.
asserted
he → deserve → award
NPR celebrated Maher receiving the award, pointing to its past statement when reached for a comment by Fox News Digital.
asserted
Maher → celebrate → Digital
"Public media exists to serve the public interest, and I can think of no greater service to the public than the defense of the First Amendment," Maher said in a comment.
asserted
Maher → exist → comment
"The freedom, imagination, and initiative of all Americans flourish with its protections, so that we may better understand the world and one another.
uncertain
we → flourish → world
The compact of citizenship asks that we each step up to defend our constitutional rights if they are threatened.
asserted
they → ask → rights
On behalf of NPR and the NPR Network, I am deeply honored to accept this award."
asserted
I → honor → award
The Aporia
