Did PBS or NPR Share Donor Lists?
Segment #519
Of course NPR and PBS are biased to the left and that is a problem when you are taking federal funds.This thread that popped up on LinkedIn may be a bit more concerning if the Feds are looking into potential viewer/donor information being swapped, traded, or sold to the DNC. I have absolutely no idea whether this is true; however, if it is, it is colossally stupid on the part of the CPB to permit it. If I were forced to bet, I would say after the performance of NPR head Catherine Maher in front of Congress, it probably is.
CPB Regulations: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which provides federal funding to public broadcasters, has clear regulations. Section 396(k)(12) of the Communications Act prohibits stations from renting or exchanging donor names or other personally identifiable information with "any Federal, State, or local office, political committees, or political parties for any purpose whatsoever, except as otherwise required by law."1
Station-Level vs. National Level: It's important to distinguish between PBS and NPR as national content providers, and their member stations (the local public TV and radio stations across the country). While the national organizations set policies, individual member stations manage their own donor lists and sometimes have different practices, though they are still subject to CPB regulations.
WGBH Boston (1990s): One of the most prominent past controversies involved WGBH in Boston in the late 1990s. It was revealed that WGBH had engaged in donor list swaps with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and other political entities. This was a significant scandal that led to increased scrutiny and tighter regulations from the CPB. The station initially downplayed it, but further investigation showed more extensive exchanges. This incident is frequently cited when the topic of public broadcasting and political data sharing comes up.
General Practice of List Swaps: In the past, the practice of non-profits, including public broadcasting stations, engaging in "list exchanges" was more common. This involved trading donor names and postal addresses (not typically emails or phone numbers, as digital communication was less prevalent) with other non-profits, sometimes including political organizations, under the argument of fair value for fundraising purposes. This practice has largely been curtailed or heavily restricted for public broadcasters due to the political neutrality requirements and past controversies.
DNC Database Hacks (2016): It's worth noting, though unrelated to PBS/NPR, that the DNC itself experienced significant cyberattacks in 2016. While "Guccifer 2.0" claimed to have leaked donor lists from the DNC, this was the DNC's own donor information, not data acquired from public broadcasters. This is a separate issue from public broadcasters providing data to the DNC.
Current Policies (as generally stated by PBS and NPR):
Both NPR and PBS have publicly stated privacy policies that generally affirm their commitment to protecting donor and viewer information.
NPR's Privacy Policy often includes language about not sharing donation information with third parties for their independent use, and provides opt-out mechanisms for donors who wish to limit the sharing of their information, even with member stations or the NPR network for certain purposes.
PBS's Privacy Policy similarly outlines how they collect and use data, and typically includes clauses about not sharing personal information with political entities. Local PBS stations also typically have their own donor privacy policies that explicitly state they do not exchange donor information with political candidates, parties, or committees.
In conclusion:
In summary, while no direct federal law explicitly outlaws the trading or selling of donor lists by non-profits, strong ethical considerations, donor expectations, and potential state-level regulations often act as deterrents.Some states, however, have enacted laws that prohibit this activity. Many non-profits prioritize donor privacy to maintain trust and support. NPR's own donor privacy statement, for example, says they generally don't disclose donor information "except where permitted by the donor, required by law or government regulation, or as otherwise specified when we collect the information." They also mention sharing with member stations unless the donor requests anonymity.