DW News / How much trust is there in public broadcasting? Here in Europe and also in the United States the news media, which once enjoyed high levels of trust by the public, have seen those levels drop dramatically. And there are calls to defund and dismantle public broadcasters entirely. On Capitol Hill in Washington this week, the heads of PBS and NPR found themselves in the line of fire at a Congressional hearing entitled "Anti-American Airwaves." America's polarized politics were on display. Republicans accused public broadcasters of political bias. Democrats accused Republicans of trying to shut down all voices the party doesn't like.