How about letting the media stand on it's own legs? Why should NPR be special? Even their name is a dishonest appeal to authority. It's not random that they have show titles like "Talk of the Nation".
As far as I know, NYT does not receive public funding, but I think this window is instructive on how the "elite" media views themselves:
Who gets to decide NPR should get funding and not NYT? I'll tell you, it's whoever is in power. I'm guessing you dont like Trump and the conservative wing of the Republican party, do you want him/them making that decision?
Amazons best seller list has a book about the truth deciders at the top right now.