Biden’s Global Media CEO warns VOA over activism in Israel coverage

The CEO who runs the board in charge of Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and other U.S. government-funded news agencies lectured employees this week about crossing the line from journalist to activist.

Amanda Bennett, CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, sent an email to all employees on Wednesday to “remind everyone” to stay in their lane as reporters of the news, rather than players trying to shape the outcome.

“Activism can be a noble practice that changes the world. If, however, you are working in one of our USAGM news networks, you have chosen to serve the world as journalists. And activism is NOT what we practice here,” said Ms. Bennett, a Biden political appointee.

She said those employees confused about how to draw the line should check with their editors “who are working assiduously to make sure we follow the highest possible professional standards.”

Ms. Bennett didn’t say if there was a specific incident that prompted her email, but the scolding comes as VOA — and news organizations across the globe — have been riven by divisions over how to cover Hamas’ murderous sneak attack on Israel last month and Israel’s attempt to calibrate its response.

VOA made headlines last month when an editor sent out a missive directing employees not to label Hamas as “terrorists,” suggesting terms such as “militants” instead. Reporters were told they are allowed to call the Oct. 7 incursion into Israel, which included seemingly indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, a “terrorist attack.”

USAGM, in response to an inquiry from The Washington Times, didn’t point to any specific prompt for Ms. Bennett’s email.

“The letter from our CEO was in regard to present challenges facing newsrooms around the world,” the agency said.

Formerly known as the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the agency oversees VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

Daniel Robinson, a former VOA White House, congressional and foreign correspondent and outspoken critic of the network and of USAGM more broadly, called Ms. Bennett’s email “strange and confusing.”

For one thing, he said, she felt obliged to break her pledge not to inject herself into journalistic matters.

“On one hand she signals discomfort with VOA policy strongly criticized by congressional Republicans. But she doubles down on VOA policy that endorses Hamas being described as some freedom fighting group,” Mr. Robinson said.

Ms. Bennett, in her missive, said “feelings are running high in newsrooms around the world” over “the horrifying events now unfolding in Israel and Gaza.”

She said her goal in writing was to “remind everyone of the clear distinctions between journalism and activism.”

 “Those who live in autocratic societies are allowed to hear only one side of any story. Our job is not to parrot the other side; it is to report the news — all of it — as best we understand it,” she wrote. “Readers recognize when reporters are truly striving to report the news factually and honestly. This is what dictators fear.”

VOA’s order not to call Hamas terrorists is just one of the taxpayer-funded networks’ struggles with the conflict.

In a Nov. 9 story, VOA ran with a headline saying “Israeli strikes” hit Gaza’s largest hospital. The story remained prominently displayed even after Israeli officials denied involvement and said the blasts were likely from Hamas rocket-propelled grenades.

It wasn’t until Nov. 10 that VOA published a story that included the Israeli denial deep in the story. And the original Nov. 9 story remained online, uncorrected, as of Nov. 17, Mr. Robinson said.

In a response to Mr. Robinson on Nov. 17, VOA said it would attach an editor’s note to the original story reflecting Israel’s denial. The network said the original report was based on wire services, but only one service carried Israel’s denial and since VOA couldn’t confirm that, it didn’t run with it at the time.

VOA said it has a “two-source rule” that allows it to use information without further attribution if two or more wire agencies have reported it.

Mr. Robinson found that a weak answer.

“It is indeed amateur hour at VOA,” he said. “VOA maintained pro-Hamas headlines and content online for more than a week when Israeli denials were available.”

He also criticized the network’s unwillingness to label Hamas as terrorists.

“There is no moral equivalency. To avoid saying ‘Hamas terrorists’ and for key VOA reporting staff to try to draw a connection with the occupation, is absurd,” he said.