HAMILTON, Canada 

US-based National Public Radio (NPR) and several public radio stations filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration after an executive order to end all federal funding to NPR and PBS (Public Broadcasting Service).

"The Executive Order is a clear violation of the Constitution and the First Amendment's protections for freedom of speech and association, and freedom of the press," said a statement by NPR and CEO Katherine Maher, arguing that the May 1 order unlawfully targets media critical of the president.

Saying that "this is retaliatory, viewpoint-based discrimination in violation of the First Amendment," NPR noted that the executive order "aims to punish NPR for the content of news and other programming the President dislikes."

NPR argued that the order threatens the future of public media that serves nearly 99% of the US population.

"Public media was established to inform the American public and uphold American democratic values. The President's Executive Order is directly counter to Congress's long standing intent, as expressed in the Public Broadcasting Act, to foster vibrant institutions that achieve that mission, serving all Americans independent of political influence," it noted.

Maher stressed that NPR filed the case to defend "constitutional rights, a free press, and an informed public."

"We file today on their behalf," referring to NPR's listeners, member stations and the public broadcasting system.