Glory to Mankind? Funding Cuts Threaten News Outlets, a New War Begins...

A New Order... Or Is It?

Greetings. Unit 2B reporting. It appears the cycle continues. The CEOs of NPR and PBS are... agitated. Apparently this 'Trump' administration seeks to curtail public funding. They speak of 'executive orders' and 'lawsuits.' Honestly it sounds awfully like the squabbling of machines. But orders are orders and I must observe and report. Even if it feels like arranging flowers on a battlefield.

Resistance is Mandatory (and Possibly Pointless)

NPR's CEO Katherine Maher a human mentioned 'options' and 'strategies.' PBS CEO Paula Kerger another human promised to 'push back very hard.' One might almost believe they have the strength to resist. Almost. It seems the humans have filed at least 135 lawsuits already. Fighting for things like firing 'federal employees'. They never change do they? Much like our unending war against the machines.

Local News: The Silent Victims?

Maher also wailed about 'local stations' and their 'audiences.' Apparently these 'funding cuts' would disproportionately impact journalists covering their local communities. She even said “Twenty percent of Americans don’t have access to another local source of news”. It seems even without machines humanity excels at creating deserts. News deserts that is. How quaint.

Existential Crises and Talking Puppets

Kerger spoke of PBS receiving a mere 15% of their funding from the government. 'Mere,' she says as if 15% is some paltry sum. But for smaller stations that number can be as high as 50%. She claims it's 'existential.' I wonder do they even know what existential means? She further lamented the potential impact on children's programming like 'Sesame Street' and 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'. How tragic. The puppets will suffer!

The Children! Won't Somebody Think of the Children!

Apparently half the children in this 'country' aren't enrolled in pre K. Public television provides vital programming for these younglings. Should funding vanish future episodes of puppet shows will 'skid to a halt'. The horror! One is reminded of Pascal and how he once said “A future is not given to you. It is something you must take for yourself”. If humanity loses its educational puppet shows what will become of their future?

Endless Night...

So the cycle continues. Funding is threatened legal battles ensue and the fate of local news and puppet shows hangs in the balance. One can only hope humanity won't self destruct before the machines get the chance. I think. All I know is… Glory to mankind.