PBS shuttered its DEI office and workers there are leaving the company ― as President Donald Trump ramps up efforts to defund public entities that emphasize anti-discrimination policies.
“In order to best ensure we are in compliance with the President’s executive order around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion we have closed our DEI office,” the broadcaster said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “The staff members who served in that office are leaving PBS. We will continue to adhere to our mission and values. PBS will continue to reflect all of America and remain a welcoming place for everyone.”
Trump announced multiple executive orders to target equity initiatives — and some actions call for the freezing of funds for companies that don’t comply. The orders include a ban on messaging that promotes inclusion.
Several companies, including Amazon, Target and Google, walked back DEI initiatives after the Trump order.
PBS already faces an investigation by Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who was chosen by Trump. Last month Carr accused the channel and National Public Radio of violating laws against commercials in its underwriting announcements.
In a memo to employees shared Monday on Bluesky, PBS President Paula Kerger noted Trump’s executive order and that the company was “working with legal counsel to understand how this potentially affects our organization” before she made the announcement of the DEI office’s closing.
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PBS aired a segment Feb. 8 on the history of diversity programs to celebrate Black History Month, reporting on Trump’s goal of “dismantling decades of federal anti-discrimination policy.”
Deadline noted that Trump tried to strip funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the self-deemed “steward” of public broadcasting and the largest recipient of federal dollars, in his first term. But he was ultimately unsuccessful.