This move sets in motion a significant shift that could impact every local station in the country, including a loss of $300,000 for Blue Ridge Public Radio. For BPR to survive, we need your help — now.
This signals a broader effort to not only take away critical funding, but to destabilize the very foundation of public broadcasting. It’s no exaggeration to say that the future of BPR and public media itself will be at stake over the coming months and we need your help.
How will this affect BPR?
For small stations like ours across the Southeast, that funding is vital. Its loss will devastate outlets that are lifelines for rural and underserved communities, in turn deepening news deserts and further fragmenting access to trusted, fact-checked coverage.
Especially following Hurricane Helene and the recent wildfires — we shudder to imagine our devastating loss of BPR’s emergency news coverage when it is needed most.
To be clear, this crisis is part of a larger, decades-long decline in American local journalism. In recent years, many news outlets in our region have shrunk or shut down, leaving Western North Carolina with insufficient reporters to cover key issues, natural disasters, and hold power to account. As journalism continues to erode, misinformation flourishes, leaving communities more vulnerable and disconnected from vital, reliable information.
Research has also shown that the loss of local journalism leads to increases in corruption — and decreases in voter turnout, civic engagement, and government efficiency. It also leads directly to increased polarization and erodes the shared identity that helps make community possible.
How you can help
We must stand together to protect BPR and public media for all. We regularly reach out to you with critical information, news and analysis. Today, we have a different ask: stand with us.
Please make a stretch charitable donation to BPR as we seek to cover these impending cuts, which will affect our budget by nearly $300,000. Your gift is not only an urgent response to our dire need, but a declaration of how you hold BPR, local journalism and all of public media dear.
When we stand together, we will keep independent journalism strong and ensure that Western North Carolina’s stories are told — from reporting that captures our region’s identity, the rebuilding progress and setbacks from Hurricane Helene, to in-depth government and policy coverage that informs and strengthens our electorate.
Together, we will ensure a future where independent news, vital storytelling, and enriching cultural programming thrives — because when communities invest in public media, everyone benefits.
Thank you for your support!
