“Broadcasting Board of Governors is practically defunct in terms of its capacity to be able to tell a message around the world.” – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, January 23, 2013, Testimony to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (Watch the video here.)
“I, along with some of my board colleagues, have consistently advocated for necessary and far-reaching reform of the governance structure and organization of U. S. international broadcasting (USIB). My belief in the importance and need for these reforms has only grown stronger the longer I have served.” – Dennis Mulhaupt, April 9, 2013, Resignation letter from the BBG Board
Royce/Engel U.S. International Broadcasting Reform Legislation
H.R. 2323, the United States International Communications Reform Act to improve the missions, objectives, and effectiveness of U.S. international broadcasters. (Introduced on May 14, 2015 by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY)).
Full text of H.R. 2323, as introduced
Section-by-section summary of H.R. 2323
News Releases on Reforming U.S. International Broadcasting
World Press Freedom Day (May 3, 2016)
Dear Colleague: Support BBG Reform (July 28, 2014)
VOA Union Supports Chairman Royce Efforts to Reform U.S.International Broadcasting (June 12, 2014)
Chairman Royce Announces Hearing on Reforming Broadcasting Board of Governors (June 21, 2013)
Hearings on Reforming U.S. International Broadcasting
Confronting Russia’s Weaponization of Information (April 15, 2015)
Broadcasting Board of Governors: An Agency "Defunct" (June 26, 2013)
View Archive Hearing Video:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Calls BBG Defunct
Broad Support for U.S. International Broadcasting Reform
Washington Post: The danger of Russian disinformation (May 6, 2016)
Daily Signal: Broadcasting Reform Is Urgently Needed To Fight ISIS (February 29, 2016)
USC Center for Public Diplomacy: Shut Down the Voice of America? (February 11, 2016)
BBG Watch: Reform Radio Liberty or Continue to Lose Propaganda War with Russia (February 10, 2016)
Washington Times: When an idea is foolish and dangerous (January 10, 2016)
Washington Post: Putin’s anti-Obama propaganda is ugly and desperate (January 4, 2015)
Washington Times:Russia propaganda machine gains on U.S. (December 27, 2015)
Politico: America's Voice Must Be Heard (November 16, 2015)
Wall Street Journal: A Partisan Voice of America (August 12, 2015)
Washington Post: America is losing the digital war against the Islamic State (July 17, 2105)
VOA Union: Risk to Reputation (July 3, 2015)
Newsweek: The West Should Be Turning the Screws on Putin (June 24, 2015)
VOA Union: Reform Redux (May 31, 2015)
New York Times: Signs of Turmoil Seen for Voice of America (April 15, 2015)
Newsmax: David Ensor Resigns as Chief of Struggling Voice of America (April 8, 2015)
The Conversation: Fixing America’s voice to enhance foreign policy (April 2, 2015)
Wall Street Journal: A Broken Voice of America (December 11, 2014)
Wall Street Journal: How to Reply to Russian Propaganda (December 3, 2014)
Washington Post: Agency that few Americans use draws controversy (November 22, 2014)
The National Interest: Can America Still Win the Information War? (September 15, 2014)
USC Center on Public Diplomacy: Promoting "Journalism with a Purpose" (August 7, 2014)
Boston Globe: Putin's propaganda highlights needs for public diplomacy (July 28, 2014)
VOA Union: Working with Congress to Improve International Broadcasting (July 22, 2014)
Washington Times: A propaganda-free Voice of America (July 15, 2014)
Weekly Standard: Fixing U.S. International Broadcasting – At Last! (July 3, 2014)
Gawker: Can Publicly Financed Journalism Ever Be Honest? (July 3, 2014)
Foreign Policy: Waste and Abuse of Power at the BBG (June 17, 2014)
VOA Union: Enact H.R. 4490 (June 7, 2014)
Wall Street Journal: Unmuffling the Voice of America (June 5, 2014)
BBG Watch: Living in the Past (June 3, 2014)
VOA Union: Congressional Reform Bells are Ringing (June 2, 2014)
Wall Street Journal: A New Voice of America (May 6, 2014)
Commentary: Voice of America Needs a Strategy (May 5, 2014)
The Hill: VOA Reform Push Sparks Propaganda Fears (May 4, 2014)
Radio World: House Committee Passes U.S. International Broadcasting Reforms (May 2, 2014)
Digitial Journal: No propaganda, Voice of America need not fear reform bill (May 2, 2014)
Washington Times:Government media board facing inquiry over hiring protocol (May 1,2014)
CQ/Roll Call: Bill Aims to Enhance Voice of America Role in Propaganda Wars (April 29, 2014)
Foreign Policy: Exclusive: New Bill Requires Voice of America to Toe U.S. Line (April 29, 2014)
Public Diplomacy Council: What is the Mission of U.S. International Broadcasting? (April 26, 2014)
The Heritage Foundation: Time to Reform U.S. International Broadcasting (April 24, 2014)
Wall Street Journal: The Voice of America Shouldn't Be a Whisper (April 17, 2014)
Reports and Fact Sheets
Wilson Center: Reassessing U.S. International Broadcasting
Aspen Institute: Reforming American Public Diplomacy
Office of Inspector General: Audit Finds Wasteful Spending
Office of Inspector General: Inspection of BBG
GAO Report on BBG: Additional Steps Needed to Address Overlap in International Broadcasting
Office of Inspector General Letter: Management Attention Needed to Improve BBG Acquisition Functions
Central and East European Coalition Supports H.R. 4490
Considering the "Illogical Patchwork": The BBG and U.S. International Broadcasting
Understanding the Mission of U.S. International Broadcasting
CRS Report: U.S. Public Diplomacy: Background and Current Issues