CQ Magazine: “Reality Rocked: Info Wars Heat Up Between U.S. and Russia”
In an article titled, “Reality Rocked: Info Wars Heat Up Between U.S. and Russia” (login required), CQ Magazine reporter Rachel Oswald dives into American efforts to counter Russian propaganda and “fake news” overseas. Oswald outlines the role Current Time, a U.S.-taxpayer funded 24/7 news channel, plays in those efforts. She notes that supporters see Current Time as “one of the most credible efforts yet by Washington to mount an effective response to the torrent of propaganda and misinformation streaming from the Kremlin as part of its efforts to destabilize European democracies.”
Quoting several influential members of Congress, including South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce, the author describes the various initiatives proposed by lawmakers to fund and prioritize public diplomacy. She also outlines the hurdles these efforts face as government leaders differ on funding levels and the impact of so-called soft-power tactics.
“I don’t think we can understate the role that the broadcasting had in preparing Eastern Europe for a nonviolent transition,” Royce is quoted.
About the USAGM
The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), an independent international media organization overseen and funded by the US government, puts objective, professional news and information content to work on behalf of U.S. global interests and national security. USAGM networks include the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Martí), Radio Free Asia, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa) and the Open Technology Fund. USAGM programming has a measured audience of 420 million in more than 100 countries and in 64 languages.