August 2014 – BBG and USAGM Watch

4 minute read

Sen. Menendez’s ‘arms for Ukraine’ call merits top headline on BBC, but not on Voice of America English news website

August 31, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Key American senators, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator John McCain…

1 minute read

Voice of America says ‘the question still remains whether the Russians are helping the separatists’ in Ukraine

August 31, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America says ‘the question still remains whether the Russians are helping…

5 minute read

Voice of America TOP STORY Headline: PUTIN ASKS RUSSIA TO STOP MILITARY OPERATIONS IN UKRAINE

August 29, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary PUTIN ASKS RUSSIA TO STOP MILITARY OPERATIONS IN UKRAINE TOP STORIES…

4 minute read

Russia’s RT has more on Obama statement on Ukraine than Voice of America

August 29, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice of America (VOA) devoted only 138 words on its English news website…

5 minute read

No update of VOA homepage, no separate report on Obama Ukraine statement

August 28, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America has not updated its main English news…

3 minute read

VOA leads Russian troops in Ukraine story with a typo, fails to update

August 28, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary A typo in the lead sentence in Voice of America’s lead news story,…

5 minute read

Russian RT paid more attention to American Jim Foley than Voice of America, obliterated VOA in social media

August 28, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary The Kremlin’s external media outlet RT (formerly Russia Today) once again beat U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice…

8 minute read

Voice of America obliterated by Russia’s RT on Ferguson coverage, social media outreach

August 27, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America (VOA) was not only late in reporting online on the killing of…

7 minute read

Voice of America does not post a profile of slain U.S. journalist Jim Foley, RT of Russia does

August 25, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America (VOA) did not post a profile of slain U.S. journalist Jim Foley;…

13 minute read

Voice of America ignores U.S. observances of Hitler – Stalin Pact anniversary

August 25, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Voice of America management ignores U.S. statements on Hitler – Stalin Pact 75th anniversary and…

10 minute read

JOE BRUNS The Voice of America: A Worthy Mission for the 21st Century

August 22, 2014

Guest Commentary BBG Watch occasionally publishes guest commentaries. This one is from Joe Bruns who was named Deputy…

5 minute read

Voice of America uses Reuters news report on major U.S. foreign policy story

August 21, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary With many of its senior executives taking August vacations and many reporters allowed by senior…

3 minute read

Ransom demand for Foley: Voice of America not reporting, hours behind BBC, NYT, other media

August 21, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary As of 1:45 PM EDT, Thursday, August 21, the Voice of America (VOA) English News…

5 minute read

Voice of America late and behind BBC report on Obama on Jim Foley, no mention of Bashar Fahmi

August 20, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Business as usual: Voice of America was late and behind BBC in posting a report…

6 minute read

Voice of America finally on the scene in Ferguson – No Comment

August 20, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary After more than ten days of reporting on the Ferguson protests from Washington, without any…

13 minute read

Different perspectives on U.S. help for Yazidi refugees in Iraq, Voice of America role

August 19, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary NBC News and Fox News provided remarkably different perspectives of the American Yazidi community views…

1 minute read

World holding its breath for VOA story on digital drive-in movies, Ferguson can wait

August 19, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Sources told BBG Watch that while Voice of America (VOA) executives still haven’t managed to…

5 minute read

On Ferguson, Voice of America top brass shows Rick Stengel why Russia’s RT is better

August 18, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary At the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) open board meeting on August 13 in Washington,…

3 minute read

Russia’s RT reports: Obama to send Holder to Ferguson, Voice of America was late

August 18, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary As of 5:00 PM EDT, August 18, 2014 – UPDATE: At about 5:45PM…

6 minute read

Voice of America bosses and staff on vacation, no VOA reporter in Ferguson, Missouri

August 18, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary The same management of U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice of America (VOA), which provided on-the-scene coverage of…

3 minute read

NBC interviews Voice of America journalist and Yazidi activist – BBG Media Highlights – August 18, 2014

August 18, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary BBG Media Highlights are compiled, posted and sent out to subscribers by the staff of…

4 minute read

Were we channelling à la the Twilight Zone? – JANE DOE Op-Ed

August 15, 2014

Guest Commentary One of BBG Watch contributors, Jane Doe, who because of her sensitive position within the International…

8 minute read

BBG End of Summer 2014 Conundrums

August 15, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Broadcasting Board of Governors – Information War Lost: BBG End of Summer 2014 Conundrums By…

9 minute read

BBC, VOA: Mid-Summer Reflections on Things That Need Fixing

August 15, 2014

Guest Commentary BBG Watch occasionally publishes guest commentaries. This one is from Dan Robinson, former Voice of America…

4 minute read

CUSIB’s ANN NOONAN: management meltdown at the Voice of America

August 15, 2014

Ann Noonan, Executive Director of the independent NGO, the Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB – cusib.org), speaking…

4 minute read

JIM MALONE: Taking direction from the CIA and the Pentagon would undermine credibility

August 15, 2014

STATEMENT OF VOICE OF AMERICA JOURNALIST JIM MALONE TO THE BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS AUGUST 13, 2014 Members…

19 minute read

Voice of America snubs White House aide Ben Rhodes speaking on VOA’s future, Russia’s RT had a report

August 15, 2014

BBG Commentary Whether it was a deliberate snub or yet another example of management and news reporting meltdown…

12 minute read

BBG hears from the White House, CUSIB

August 14, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary In remarks to the Board of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), Assistant to the…

9 minute read

Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez takes issue with BBG decision to close down Voice of America Greek Service

August 14, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary While the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) wastes millions of taxpayers dollars on its overblown…

11 minute read

Inaccurate reporting from Voice of America offers support for Kremlin propaganda

August 12, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary A report posted Monday on the U.S. taxpayer-funded Voice of America (VOA), “As Kyiv’s Maidan…

7 minute read

An Untenable Position With Consequences

August 11, 2014

Voice of America – Information War Lost: An Untenable Position With Consequences By The Federalist Sonja Pace…

4 minute read

‘Death Knell in Fine Print for Voice of America’ BELIDA and PACE

August 11, 2014

Alex Belida and Sonja Pace, former senior news executives and foreign correspondents with the Voice of America, believe…

15 minute read

Voice of America Kurdish Service has no homepage story on Obama hours after statement on Kurdish refugees in Iraq

August 9, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Nearly three hours after President Obama made a statement on Iraq, in which spoke about…

2 minute read

Voice of America Kurdish Service Did Not Post New Tweets for 10 Hours Despite Humanitarian Tragedy in Iraq

August 9, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Despite a tremendous humanitarian tragedy in Iraq involving tens of thousands of Kurds and Kurdish-speaking…

2 minute read

Voice of America Kurdish Service Facebook Page Not Updated for 11 Hours

August 9, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Despite a tremendous humanitarian tragedy in Iraq involving tens of thousands of Kurds and Kurdish-speaking…

5 minute read

White House meeting with Yazidi leaders gets one sentence on Voice of America English website

August 9, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary A White House meeting with Yazidi leaders got one sentence on the Voice of America…

5 minute read

AFGE Local 1812 union defends H.R. 4490 reforms for Voice of America

August 8, 2014

BBG Watch American Federation of Government Employees, AFGE Local 1812, a union representing federal employees at the Broadcasting…

7 minute read

Voice of America slighted Obama, ignored Menendez, Coons and Royce, violated Charter in U.S. – Africa Summit coverage

August 7, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary President Obama’s speech at the summit of African leaders in Washington was interrupted and cut…

6 minute read

Voice of America interrupts live radio transmission to Africa of Obama speech about Africa

August 6, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Not too long ago Voice of America (VOA) top executives would not think of carrying…

3 minute read

Former BBG member Susan McCue writes about fighting poverty in Africa

August 6, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Former Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) member Susan McCue was known for her concern for…

6 minute read

Criticizing Hillary Clinton In Relation To Decline of Voice of America Is An Unnecessary Misstep

August 5, 2014

Commentary US Government International Broadcasting – Information War Lost: An Unnecessary Misstep By The Federalist We read with…

7 minute read

Has The Voice of America Outlived Its Usefulness?

August 5, 2014

Guest Commentary BBG Watch occasionally publishes guest commentaries. This commentary is from an anonymous journalist who works at…

7 minute read

Voice of America – A Process Moving Forward, And One That Is Dead-On-Arrival

August 5, 2014

Commentary Voice of America – Information War Lost: A Process Moving Forward, And One That Is Dead-On-Arrival By…

6 minute read

Radio World reports on BBG Shortwave Committee report and rebuttal from CUSIB

August 5, 2014

Radio World has two articles on the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) report on the future of shortwave…

2 minute read

Washington Times quotes BBG Watch, former BBG Governor Ashe on Hillary Clinton and decline of Voice of America

August 4, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary The Washington Times reporter Jim McElhatton has an article about former Secretary of State Hillary…

24 minute read

Voice of America news failures on Syria, other stories extend to VOA language services

August 4, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary No Voice of America language service was found to have posted news from Congress, State…

17 minute read

Voice of America ignores Syria war crimes news from Congress and White House

August 2, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary This week, Voice of America (VOA) English News failed to cover online riveting testimony in…

12 minute read

DYAR and ROBINSON: What went wrong with Voice of America website and news?

August 1, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary Former Voice of America correspondent David Dyar commented on a recent post by another former…

5 minute read

CUSIB Condemns BBG Shortwave Committee Report for Targeting Vulnerable Radio Audiences for Cuts Rather Than Cutting Waste — PRESS RELEASE

August 1, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary The independent and nonpartisan Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting (CUSIB – cusib.org) issued a press…

5 minute read

Execs with worst communication skills in charge of U.S. world media outreach at BBG

August 1, 2014

BBG Watch Commentary A just released study by the Partnership for Public Service found that the Broadcasting Board…