BBG Watch Commentary

Helle C. Dale, the Heritage Foundations Senior Fellow in Public Diplomacy studies, reported on the think tank’s blog, The Foundry, that the fired journalists of Radio Liberty’s (RL) Moscow office are finally seeing a deep injustice reversed.
Helle Dale quoted from the statement by Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) members Susan McCue and Michael Meehan who went to Moscow with Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) acting president Kevin Klose and met with Russian human rights leaders and representatives of the fired journalists.

“Given the rapidly shrinking independent media across Russia over the past few months, we have asked the management of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Russian Service and Voice of America Russian Service to redouble US international media efforts in that country.…”
“In particular, we have asked Acting RFE/RL President Kevin Klose and his team to continue their timely outreach now under way to all the former Radio Liberty journalists, whose expertise could assist in providing important insight and valuable analysis of the inner workings of Russia today.”

Helle Dale wrote that “these are sweet words to the many who spoke out against the firings of most of the long-serving and dedicated staff of RL’s Moscow office last September, among them BBG member Victor Ashe, who led the charge on behalf of the fired Russian journalists. In addition, organizations such as The Heritage Foundation weighed in strongly recommending the rehiring of the staff and creative ways to keep RL on the air in Russia.
Helle Dale was not aware at the time her article was published that Ambassador Victor Ashe may have paid a political price for exposing the crisis at Radio Liberty and other instances of mismanagement among top ranks of the agency’s International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) when the White House demanded that his appointment be terminated even though there are still three Republican vacancies on the bipartisan board.
READ MORE: Radio Liberty Journalists in Moscow to See Justice Done, Helle Dale, The Foundry, The Heritage Foundation, May 13, 2013.