(WASHINGTON)—With the U.S. government restoring Voice of America (VOA)’s Persian-language operations due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, PEN America today urged the White House to reinstate all journalists under the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). The free expression and writers group said these global news agencies are “essential” in times of war and conflict.
Tim Richardson, journalism and disinformation program manager at PEN America, said: “The recall of Voice of America’s Persian-language staff shows that the Trump administration is learning what press freedom advocates warned all along: sidelining USAGM journalists weakens access to reliable reporting in the United States and globally and serves as a gift to dictators around the world. Amid escalating military operations in which millions of Iranian civilians are caught in the crossfire, VOA’s Persian service and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda are providing vital news and information, which is an essential need in times of war and conflict. The Trump administration must immediately reinstate all USAGM journalists, who deliver critical programming in 64 languages to hundreds of millions of people, including those living under conflict and repression. Their work is essential to fact-based reporting, access to potentially life-saving information, and countering dangerous authoritarian propaganda worldwide.”
By executive order, President Trump ended the USAGM after falsely maligning Voice of America as the “Voice of Radical America” and saying it broadcasts “for America’s adversaries – not its citizens.” The cuts affected the VOA’s Persian service and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda, which have significant audiences inside Iran and the Iranian diaspora. The restoration of VOA’s Persian-language services comes amid an Israeli strike on Iran’s state-owned broadcaster on Monday, which killed a journalist and a media worker, and the further throttling of Iranians’ internet access by Iranian authorities.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057