A Springfield State Senator is pushing back against the University of Illinois-Springfield’s effort to defund NPR-Illinois.
48th District State Senator Doris Turner has sent a letter to the U of I system to reconsider it’s decision to phase out the $400,000 in annual funding the university gives in support of NPR.
Turner says in a press release that NPR-Illinois is one of the best sources of news for Illinois residents in an era that’s difficult to distinguish from slanted and genuine information. Turner says it will also be a large disservice to local journalism students.
Turner noted NPR’s state government coverage. She says that years ago that more than 30 news outlets covered Capitol news while less than 10 do so now.
The university will continue to provide and maintain operational space on campus for NPR Illinois, along with parking and security. The university announced earlier this week that they would phase out funding to the broadcast station over the next 5 years due to a budget crunch overall. NPR has said they will try to make up the funding through more private donations and fundraising efforts.