Voice of the Regime?
Helle Dale /
Voice of America is finding itself in the news again, and not for reasons that should please the leadership of the institution. This time the spotlight has landed on VOA’s Persian News Network.
Over the years, VOA has on occasion strayed from good judgment and allowed voices on the air that have no business being represented on a U.S. government funded network. Back in the 1990s, VOA raised Congressional hackles by putting the families of Palestinian suicide bombers on the air. In 2007, another U.S. broadcasting service, Al Hurra television, came under severe criticism from Capitol Hill for airing views that actively support terrorism and for failing to challenge Arab autocratic regimes. Congress, as a consequence, withheld funding 11 million in funding for Al Hurra. (more…)