NPR Reverses Ban on Anchor’s Pride Event Appearance After Internal Email Leak

The decision followed an accidental email exposing the ban, raising questions about shifting policies under political scrutiny.

NPR initially barred anchor Ari Shapiro from attending a corporate LGBTQ Pride event, citing its ethics handbook on avoiding private industry functions.
The internal email announcing the decision was mistakenly sent to a wide audience, including newsroom staff and editors.
Shapiro questioned the ban, pointing out that similar appearances had been approved in previous years without issue.
NPR quickly reversed the decision after the email exchange was reported by media outlets, allowing Shapiro to attend the event.
The incident comes as NPR faces heightened political pressure from the Trump administration and congressional Republicans, who are seeking to defund public broadcasting.