Introduction

Since The United States International Communications Reform Act of 2014 (HR4490) was passed by The House of Representatives on July 28, 2014, there has been much debate about the fate of the Voice of America and how the Broadcasting Board of Governors needs to be reformed. In the digital age, where access to media is much easier and faster than ever before, government-sponsored international broadcasting agencies such as VOA face a growing challenge to remain relevant and strike a balance between offering high-quality journalism that is independent and truthful, while advancing a country’s foreign policy objectives at the same time. 

In this CPD Monitor issue, former VOA Senior Advisor Alex Belida, former VOA Director Joseph Bruns, former Senior News Executive and Foreign Correspondent with VOA Sonja Pace, and Emily Metzgar, Professor at The Media School at Indiana University, share their insights and analyses about the recent United States International Communications Reform Act and explain its implications for VOA in particular and U.S. international broadcasting efforts in general, as one of the country’s major public diplomacy trajectories.