Washington – President Trump Demolish The Voice of America funded by the government would pave the way for the US opponents to have more impact abroad, predicting the agency director Michael Abramovitz.
Mr. Trump signed an executive order, which attempts to make a wide cut in the country’s largest international broadcaster, with about 1,300 employees including Abramovitz in the weekend that they were placed on administrative leave, and 500 other contractors were abolished. Mr. Trump accused the news agency, which began broadcasting during World War II, accused of spreading “radical publicity”.
In an interview on Monday with CBS News, Abramovitz called the VOA “an incredibly important soft power tool” and said that it would be “self-installed blow” for national security as VOA news coverage helps to deal with Chinese, Russian and Iranian disruption.
“If the US draws the playground and tells it to our opponents, they are going to tell the narratives that people from all over the world are going to listen, and it may not be good for America,” he said. “They are going to hear an anti-American story. We need to fight the truth.”
VOA reports news about America in about 50 languages - most of its attention is trained on countries that lack an independent press. According to the law, the broadcast does not air inside the US, but news programming is widely seen – with spectators of about 360 million people per week worldwide.
“We are obtained through an audience who can otherwise hear the promotion,” Abramovitz said, many VOA journalists are from countries under ruling control. “The major challenge for the United States in general is this global information war in which countries like China and Russia are essentially having lunch. … Therefore, I really feel that we need an organization that is accurate, fair, purposeful, and it tells the rest of the world to the rest of the world that they understand.”
“It has never been more important with the sea of lies and disintegration worldwide,” he said.
Nevertheless, Abramovitz admitted that VOA, which has an annual budget of $ 270 million, can be improved and it should “be resistant to change.”
“I am not saying that this is always the way to be,” said Abramovitz. “Change is great. Change requires. Change requires.”
“I personally think that this is a waste of taxpayer’s money,” he argued. “Does this mean that it is a budget of $ 270 million? Perhaps it can be ($ 240 million), maybe it can be ($ 200 million). Look, we are in an era where we are in an era Tax payer A small, more modern, more well -organized government expects. ,
He defended VOA journalists as non-partisan and stated that if they harass any prejudice, it is against totalitarianism, atrocities and powerism.
“If you care for a free IranIf you care for more openness in ChinaIf you care about freedom in Russia, if you care about freedom Venezuela And Nicaragua, then you have an incredibly important tool in VOA to help push back and get accurate and purposeful information in these places, “He said.” This is incredibly important. ,
Nancy cordes
