Mr. Qiao Mu, a dissident Chinese academic, previously a professor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and a contract employee at VOA Mandarin Service from November 2017 to January 2018, challenged Voice of America Director Amanda Bennet and Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) CEO John Lansing during the Q & A session at an event to mark the 2018 World Press Freedom Day on whether there is press freedom at VOA. When he was working in the Mandarin Service, he said, two managers asked him to stop tweeting on certain topics which he believed had nothing to do with his work. He has more than 14,000 Twitter followers. In January, he said, his VOA contract was abruptly terminated because in one of his tweets he showed sympathy for the Mandarin journalists who were put on administrative leave.
Mr. Qiao’s question was cut short by Greta Van Susteren, one of the panelists who also works as a non-paid VOA TV host for VOA. Amanda Bennett said “there is” [freedom of the press at the Voice of America], but neither she nor anybody else, including BBG CEO John F. Lansing, tried to react to Qiao Moo’s comments about censorship at the VOA China Branch. Greta Van Susteren kept insisting there was no more time left. The panel was hurriedly wrapped up, but the program continued with BBG Deputy Director Jeff Trimble speaking about censorship abroad. Both John Lansing and Amanda Bennett are Obama administration holdover appointees who were not required to be vetted or confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Any new BBG CEO nominated by the President would require a Senate confirmation. The co-sponsors of the event-the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University and the Committee to Protect Journalists-also ignored the plight of administratively suspended VOA Mandarin Service journalists and did not comment on the VOA Guo Wengui interview controversy and charges of censorship at the Voice of America and the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
Take a look at some of his recent tweets about his experience at the Voice of America. They are written in Chinese but auto-translate shows the general meaning. Also take a look at some of the comments in auto-translate.
美国之音违反管办分离原则，损害新闻自由、迫害记者和外包工的事，推特能够让受众知道真相，但难以改变。我不想再多说，一边支持三位记者的申诉、诉讼，一边会用英语向BBG、国务院、国会陈述我的亲历。至于我，离开像央视和中国国际广播电台一样肮脏、专制的美国之音，失去的是锁链，得到的是自由。 https://t.co/fqyQ8Ts7oW
— 乔木 (@QiaoMoo) April 28, 2018
1 美国的政治太大，不好说，但我亲历的美国之音，很脏，没有它标榜的新闻自由，反而破坏新闻自由、迫害追求新闻自由的记者。专业水准底下，长官意志、鼓励告密，听众流失，浪费税款。2 我不靠任何人养，自己工作，纳收入税、财产税、汽车税、消费税，各种税。不靠任何福利，交社安，买保险，自立社会。 https://t.co/3WhXAqPAJ7
— 乔木 (@QiaoMoo) April 28, 2018
前天美国之音主管BBG搞新闻自由日对话。上半场讨论有台长阿曼达。我用英语提问:美国之音叶公好龙，拿四个记者替罪。对我先是美国领导约谈，限制和工作无关的言论自由。又因我转发一同情记者的帖子，解除合同。美国之音真的有新闻自由吗？全场哗然，阿曼达无言以对。主持人以时间到了为由，草草收场。 https://t.co/Z8f8XpTKaR
— 乔木 (@QiaoMoo) April 28, 2018
1 两位美国主管，无意发现我在墙内外的影响，约谈限制我的社交媒体、专栏、接受采访,尽管我不是他们的雇员，只是劳务公司派遣的合同工，言论也和工作无关。2 我转评一同情被处罚记者的帖，第二天他们让劳务公司解除合同。3 工作期间发现许多在选题、请人方面的潜规则。所以我质问他们台长叶公好龙。 https://t.co/Z8f8XpTKaR
— 乔木 (@QiaoMoo) April 28, 2018