VOA Staffers Urge Public To Rally Around Crippled News Service
The White House shutdown of Voice Of America has opened the door to propaganda by Russian and Chinese influencers in countries from Africa to Asia, furloughed staff of the news service warned last night at the National Press Club.
During a cocktail reception and discussion about the status of VOA, three staffers from the government news service said Donald Trump inadvertently helped communist countries when he pulled the plug on America’s independent news service.
“Russian propaganda and Chinese state media… they are filling the frequencies that we used to occupy,” said Jessica Jerreat, a former VOA Press Freedom Editor who was placed on leave as part of the Trump administration’s effort to shut down the service.
“Before we had independent balanced news… Now it’s filled with propaganda," said Jerreat, arguing that America is “ceding space” to communist countries that use news services to advance their own political ends, while VOA staffer Kathryn Neeper said simply: “Russians and Chinese are incredibly eager to fill this gap.”
CNBC Washington correspondent and Press Freedom Team chair Emily Wilkins, far right, introduces the panel from VOA, all named plaintiffs in the suit against AGM. L-R: Kate Neeper, director of strategy and performance assessment at AGM; Jessica Jerreat, VOA press freedom editor; and Patsy Widakuswara, VOA White House bureau chief. Photo: Alan Kotok
For his part, Trump and his allies have argued that VOA presents a biased and distorted view of the politics colored by liberal ideology.
Some also argued that the news service, which began operating in 1942 as a way of countering Nazi propaganda, has outlived its usefulness, since many people globally rely on getting news and information off the Internet, via Signal, WhatsApp or other outlets.
In March, the majority of VOA staff were placed on leave and most of the programming ended. The Trump appointed head of VOA, Kari Lake, has said she intends to dismantle the agency completely and she’s cut contracts, dumped equipment and even terminated the agency’s leased space to accomplish her goal.
In June, layoffs notices were sent to 639 VOA staff, though the outcome of those firings has been tied up in a court case in which Jerreat is a plaintiff, along with Neeper and reporter Patsy Widakuswara.
Widakuswara, who also attended last night’s Press Freedom discussion of the case, called herself a “naughty girl who knows a good lawyer” and had served as VOA's White House Bureau chief before she was reassigned and then placed on leave. She’s become a hero for some reporters by challenging Trump but she also became a lightning rod for controversy by giving the thin skinned president an extra reason to hate VOA.
Widakuswara said the case involving VOA is “ about press freedom overall in this country… the attack on it is happening to many of our peers” across journalism. “Our independent journalism does not align with this president,” she added.
Neeper, who also spoke at the reception last night, served as the Director of Strategy and Performance Assessment at VOA. She asked that the audience go to bat for the news service.
“You can call your members of Congress and plug VOA. That’s all you have to do,” Neeper said. She encouraged journalists and others to help VOA production staff by proof reading their resumes to assist them with finding new jobs and to consider donating to an employee assistance fund, which has been used to help some laid off staff pay their medical bills or remain in the United States.
Many VOA staff are not U.S. citizens and rely on their work at VOA as a condition for staying in the country. But leaving after reporting on authoritarian governments overseas puts them into potential danger, because of the possible retribution when they return to their native countries.
The legal case brought in federal court against the Trump administration over the attempt to close down VOA centers on a legal argument that the agency acted improperly when it ordered staff not to report to work, suspended contractors, turned off service, and locked the agency's doors.
The budget shutdown of the majority of the federal government back on October 1 has delayed some of the legal proceedings in the case, though Jerreat is hopeful that U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who is presiding over the VOA case, has previously blocked some administration efforts and could still be a savior to VOA. “The judge seems very sympathetic to the case,” she said last night.
The discussion was moderated by CNBC correspondent and former National Press Club President Emily Wilkins, who took about six questions from the audience of about 25 people.