Chinese dissident Wei Jinsheng blasted U.S. broadcasting to China, offering yet one more reason for Congress to put broadcasting reform back on the table when the 114th Congress convenes in January.
Criticisms of Voice of America
Wei delivered his criticisms of Voice of America (VOA) at the October 30 meeting of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the governing body for U.S. international broadcasting:
- Based on reactions Wei has received from China over the past 10 years, VOA is grossly biased toward the communist regime. Communist officials, including senior officials of China’s security services, receive disproportionately more air time.
- Human rights and democracy issues are seriously underreported.
- VOA has lost much of its audience in China because of its perceived pro-regime bias.
- Less than 20 percent of the Chinese people have access to the Internet, which is heavily censored anyway. Accordingly, VOA’s continuing efforts to eliminate radio make no sense at all.
- Radio is essential to reaching the most oppressed and information-deprived Chinese, and shortwave radio is especially important.
- VOA badly needs independent monitoring of its China programming.
A Credible Critic
Coming from someone who spent 18 years in Chinese jails for political activism, Wei’s comments should be a call to action. Wei speaks with authority on human rights in China, and the BBG, including its newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Andy Lack, need to take his criticisms to heart. At a recent meeting in New York, Lack heard similar concerns from other Chinese dissidents and members of the Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting.
Persistent Problems
Persistent problems have beset not just VOA’s China service, but also VOA’s Russian Service and Persian News Network. Failure to vet managers and employees, combined with a tendency to shy away from confrontation, has led the management to turn away from reporting on the issues that most need exposing.
Congress’s Role
The Broadcasting Reform Bill of 2014 (H.R. 4490), which the House to Representatives passed on a voice vote on July 29, is one of the few truly bipartisan bills to move in recent years. The bill has yet to be introduced in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and under the current Senate leadership that is unlikely to happen. But the results of the midterm elections ought to allow consideration and debate of at least bills such as the Senate version of H.R. 4490.
Reforming the complex of U.S. civilian broadcasters is too much for just one man, no matter how hard-working Lack may be. At this point, Congress needs to renew its efforts to improve U.S. broadcasting to re-engage in the global war of ideas.
