United States Agency for Global Media

Bay Fang was appointed President of Radio Free Asia (RFA) by the Acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Kelu Chao. Fang returns to the office of RFA President, having previously served in the role from November 2019 to June 2020.

“I am deeply honored to return to my position at the helm of this vital institution,” Fang said. “I know how much RFA matters to people living under authoritarian rule, and the ability to continue its unique brand of incisive journalism without fear or favor is critical in today’s world.

“RFA both informs and empowers the citizens of countries where authoritarians continue to spin webs of disinformation. As President, I look forward to ensuring RFA continues to shine as a beacon of quality, independent journalism in Asia and beyond.”

Fang first joined RFA as Managing Director for East Asia in 2015. In 2016 she became Executive Editor, and was named RFA’s President in November 2019. During her tenure, Fang spearheaded in-depth investigative ventures into North Korea’s practice of skirting international sanctions through globe-spanning forced overseas labor operations, and numerous multimedia projects showcasing RFA’s in-depth journalism on China’s influence in Southeast Asia. She also oversaw coverage of the surveillance state in China’s Uyghur and Tibetan regions, including RFA’s exclusive reporting on China’s extrajudicial detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs and related developments.

Fang’s 20-plus-year career in journalism began when she served as the Beijing Bureau Chief for US News & World Report, where she won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for her story “China’s Stolen Wives.” Fang went on to cover the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for US News and World Report magazine, and later became the Diplomatic Correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. She has also served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, overseeing public diplomacy and public affairs for Europe and Eurasia. Fang earned her undergraduate degree at Harvard University, was a Fulbright scholar in Hong Kong and a visiting fellow at Oxford University.