“It’s a misunderstanding of the role of public diplomacy,” political scientist on Musk’s desire to close Radio Liberty
10 February 2025 17:27
OPINION
Elon Musk, an American billionaire and head of the U.S. Government Performance and Accountability Office, wants to stop funding Radio Liberty and Voice of America. In his opinion, these media outlets are wasting taxpayers’ money. He published a statement in X, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“Europe is free now (except for the suffocating bureaucracy). Hello, no one listens to them anymore. They’re just left-wing radical lunatics talking to themselves, burning $1 billion a year of American taxpayers’ money,”
– the billionaire emphasized in his post.
These words followed the suspension of funding for the USAID government agency, so it is very likely that these two legendary media outlets will also fall under the US government austerity.
In an exclusive commentary for , political analyst Ihor Reiterovych noted that such statements are evidence of the new US administration’s lack of understanding of the importance of public diplomacy and representation of the United States’ position in the world.
The expert emphasizes that the issue of financing these media is considered solely from the point of view of costs. Musk called these outlets “leftists” who are traditionally identified with the Democratic Party, although historically, these media have been most effective during Republican administrations.
“They look at it from the point of view of the Democrats, from the point of view of spending some money, although Radio Liberty was most active and effective in terms of delivering information, promoting the American way of life during the time of Republicans, for example, Reagan,” he explains,
– he explains.
Reiterowicz notes that the current attitude of U.S. leaders toward traditional media contributes to their misunderstanding of the role that Voice of America and Radio Liberty have played and are playing.
“Since they now have a rejection of traditional media, they are trying to limit their funding and prevent them from working,”
– emphasizes the political scientist.
Reiterowicz emphasizes that these media played an important role in presenting different points of view, regardless of the political situation.
“This will definitely not be good, as these two media outlets represented, among other things, the official opposition of the United States on certain issues. They don’t care who is in power – Democrats or Republicans,” he explains,
– he explains and adds that restricting the work of Radio Liberty and Voice of America may even cause internal resentment in the United States.
Finally, the expert draws attention to the international aspect of this problem, as the reduction of such media will have consequences for countries where they are important sources of information.
“This is bad, first of all, for those countries where these organizations operated and where they could be an alternative source of information about the development of democracy, freedom of speech, and so on. There will be certain problems here, but perhaps they will reorient to some other forms and start not only receiving but also earning money,”
– Reiterovich says.
At the same time, it is clear that this is the aspect that Trump and Musk are least interested in. “The Voice of America and Radio Liberty, like USAID, are elements of US soft power. The current administration, with its attacks on Greenland, Panama, Mexico, Canada, etc., clearly demonstrates a commitment to brute force.
At the same time, Reiterowicz expresses doubt that the complete closure of Radio Liberty and Voice of America is possible.
“I don’t think they will be able to close everything completely. Most likely, they will find some way out of this situation – perhaps they will simply cut funding or find some other funds, but this will initially lead to disadvantages for the United States,”
– the expert adds.
However, despite Musk’s statements, Reiterowicz predicts that the government will still look for compromise financing options.
“Musk, of course, can now bring this matter to an end, but I think they will still look for some way out of this situation, to continue their funding,”
– the political scientist summarizes.
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“Radio Free Europe and Voice of America: Promoting American values
“Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA) are international media organizations funded by the US government. They were created to disseminate objective information and support freedom of speech in countries where governments restrict access to independent media. “The Voice of America was founded in 1942 and initially operated as a counter-propaganda outlet during World War II. “Radio Liberty appeared in 1950, focusing on coverage of events in the socialist camp countries, including the USSR.
Both broadcasters played an important role during the Cold War by disseminating alternative information in states with censored media. “Radio Liberty actively covered events in the USSR and Eastern Europe, including the Chornobyl disaster, the Soviet-Afghan war, and repressions against dissidents. “In addition to news, Voice of America broadcast programs about the American way of life and democratic values.
After the collapse of the USSR, these media continued their work, adapting to new challenges. Today, VOA has bureaus in Ukraine and other post-Soviet countries, covering Russian aggression, corruption, and democracy issues. “Voice of America operates in more than 40 language editions, including Ukrainian, Russian, and Persian. Despite state funding, both media outlets declare editorial independence and continue to be important sources of information in regions with limited freedom of speech.
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