TRANSCRIPT:
VOA, in its commitment to truth and transparency and objective journalism, models the principles of freedom of expression, transparency and openness that are at the core of democracy. And in modeling this behavior, it sends a message not just about the values and the stories, but about the behavior and the practice. And that is very, very powerful.
If Voice of America provides one-sided transmission of American views and outlooks and actions, then Voice of America becomes indistinguishable from RT and CGTN. And when that happens, when the Voice of America becomes the administration’s mouthpiece, it essentially creates a vacuum of influence that platforms like RT and CGTN are only too happy to occupy. In the end, when VOA becomes a mouthpiece, it becomes indistinguishable from its authoritarian competitors.
Free press is the engine of democracy. Without the ability to elevate the issues, discuss them, look at all sides, and then find solutions in the context of the media, then I don’t think it’s possible for a democracy to exist.
Published
Walker is a retired senior Foreign Service officer and public diplomacy expert. She served as executive director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy from 2019–2024 and has held senior diplomatic posts in Europe and Central Asia.