Trump’s dismantling of America’s voice can lead to the dominance of anti -American propaganda, the director says

Washington President Trump dismantling Among the US -funded American voice will pave the way for America’s opponents to have a greater impact abroad, agency director Michael Abramovich predicted.

After Mr. Trump signed an executive order seeking comprehensive discounts in the country’s largest international broadcaster, about 1,300 employees, including Abramovich, learned during the weekend that was placed on an administrative leave, and 500 other contractors were completed. Mr. Trump accused the news agency, which started broadcasting during World War II, of spreading “radical propaganda”.

In an interview with CBS News Monday, Abramowitz Voa described as an “incredible soft power tool” for the United States and said the closure will be a “self -blow” for national security because Voa’s news coverage helps to combat Chinese, Russian and Iranian information.

He said: “If America is coming out of the field and enters it to our opponents, the accounts will tell that people all over the world will hear, and this cannot be good for America.” “They will hear a narration to combat America. We need to fight it with the truth.”

Voa reports about 50 languages ​​about the United States – with a lot of focus on countries that lack free press. Under the law, broadcasts are not broadcast within the United States, but news programming is widely displayed – with an audience of about 360 million people a week around the world.

“We are reaching an audience that may hear propaganda other than that,” Abramovitz said, adding that many Voa journalists are countries under authoritarian control. “The main challenge of the United States in general is this global information war in which countries like China and Russia are essentially deals with our lunch … So, I really feel that we need an accurate, unbiased and objective organization, which tells the truth about America for the rest of the world in the languages ​​they understand.”

He added: “This was never more important with a sea of ​​lies and misleading information that is taking place all over the world.”

However, Abramovitz admitted that VOA, which has an annual budget of $ 270 million, can be repaired and that “should not be resistant to change.”

“I do not say that it should be as it was always,” Abramovitz said. “The change is great. The change is needed. The change is required.”

“I do not personally think it is a waste of taxpayer’s money,” he said. “Does this mean that it should be a budget of $ 270 million? Perhaps it can be (240 million dollars), and it may be (200 million dollars). See, we are in an era where taxpayer A smaller, more updated and more simplified government expects. ”

Voa journalists defended that they were not partisan and said if they harbored any bias, it is against totalitarianism, tyranny and authoritarianism.

“If you care for free IranIf you are interested in more openness ChinaIf you are interested in freedom in Russia, if you are interested in freedom in Venezuela He said, “This is very important,” and Nicaragua, then you have an incredibly important tool in VOA to help retreat and get accurate and objective information in these places that you do not have. This is very important. ”

Nancy Cordes

Nancy Cords is CBS News ‘Cheman’ Chemenenernernternranterternranes in Washington, DC, won many awards for its reports, including many EMMYS Awards, and Edward R. Moro, Alfred Dubont University Award. Columbia.