TRANSCRIPT:
My first job in journalism was with the Voice of America. It was the dark days of the Soviet Union, the 1970s. Soviet citizens were cut off from reliable information about the outside world. The VOA Russian Service broadcast on shortwave radio 24/7; its professional journalists explained U.S. government policy, and they also talked about life in America.
Today, the USSR is long gone, the old Cold War is over. But America still needs to explain objectively and professionally its role in the world, how our country functions, the role of civilians and citizens in our democracy.
America’s opponents and enemies are more than willing to tell lies about the United States, to try to deepen divisions in our country. Right now, the Voice of America is being silenced. The current administration is dismantling its parent agency. The argument seems to be “it’s too expensive, or we don’t need it anymore — after all, the Cold War is over.” But tell that to the Russian government, which is spending more money than ever — hundreds of millions of dollars — on international broadcasting and propaganda. China is spending more than ever on global propaganda. So, my question as a journalist and as an American is: Do we want them to tell our story?
Propaganda backfires. I don’t think it is effective. So, I think what we need more than ever is professionalism, professional journalists who would tell the truth the way it is.
I mean, sometimes it’s not pleasant to talk about, there can be negative news. But that is what citizens in other countries, especially repressive regimes, want. I mean, in their countries, they are told “everything’s fantastic, no problems, our health care is fantastic.” And they’re not going to believe it. So, we need to be objective and professional.
Published
Dougherty is a journalist and former CNN Moscow bureau chief and White House correspondent. She is now a distinguished fellow with the Wilson Center and a CNN on-air contributor on Russia issues.