Indiana Senate Democrats: Defunding Public Broadcasting Hurts Hoosiers 

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus released the following statement Tuesday after Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations (IPBS) announced it will eliminate its entire statewide reporting team following the General Assembly’s decision to cut all state funding:

“We said this would happen. And now it’s here,” said Shelli Yoder, Senate Minority Leader (D-Bloomington). “When the supermajority eliminated every dollar of state funding for public broadcasting during session, we told them what the consequences would be: fewer trusted news sources, fewer watchdogs at the Statehouse and fewer local voices telling the stories of all Hoosiers. Now Hoosiers are seeing those consequences unfold in real time.”

IPBS confirmed it will dissolve its 8-person statewide reporting team, which has provided award-winning, in-depth coverage of education, health care, labor, energy and the environment, and state government. The cut follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump to eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports PBS, NPR and their member stations.

“This isn’t just about journalism,” Yoder said. “For many rural Hoosiers, public broadcasting is how they receive emergency weather alerts, tornado warnings and other critical public safety information. These decisions are putting lives and communities at risk.”

According to IPBS, its 17 member stations reach 95% of Hoosiers and often provide the only nonpartisan local news coverage in many parts of the state. The organization also plays a major role in civic affairs programming, education initiatives and emergency response efforts.

“Stripping support from independent media is part of a broader strategy to avoid oversight, limit accountability and control the narrative,” Yoder said. “Hoosiers deserve the truth. They deserve access to trusted reporting. And they deserve a government that protects—not defunds—the institutions that keep them informed.”

The Senate Democratic Caucus stands in solidarity with IPBS News journalists and supports restoring sustainable funding for public media in Indiana.