'There's been a lot of tears': Local public media stations grapple with federal cuts

By David Folkenflik

Published September 30, 2025 at 2:00 AM PDT

Federal funding cuts to public media go into effect Wednesday. A South Dakota station explains what it's had to do as local stations across the country adjust to the loss.

David Folkenflik

David Folkenflik was described by Geraldo Rivera of Fox News as "a really weak-kneed, backstabbing, sweaty-palmed reporter." Others have been kinder. The Columbia Journalism Review, for example, once gave him a "laurel" for reporting that immediately led the U.S. military to institute safety measures for journalists in Baghdad.

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