Sat, Feb 19, 2011 - Page 3 News List

FEATURE: VOA Chinese service employees furious as end looms

FAIR AND SILENTAccording to sources at VOA, the work environment had turned sour as pressure from management led to on-air hosts self-censoring themselves

By J. Michael Cole  /  Staff Reporter

VOA staff are barred from protesting or engaging in letter campaigns during work hours.

Amid the great uncertainty surrounding the future of the service, one young Taiwanese reporter at VOA Mandarin spoke his mind and told management how he regarded the situation.

“So do you just want me to apply for a job at Xinhua?” — the state-owned Chinese news service, which has now gone global — a source quoted him as saying earlier this week.

The BBG budget document opens with a quote from an address given by US President Barack Obama at the Oval Office on May 17 last year, which reads: “All around the world there are enormously courageous journalists and bloggers who, at great risk to themselves, are trying to shine a light on the critical issues that the people of their country face; who are the frontlines against tyranny and oppression.”

In its Freedom of the Press 2010 global ranking, US-based Freedom House placed China 181st out of 192 countries.

The BBG is responsible for all US government or government-sponsored, non-military international broadcasting.

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