VOA – 80 Years of Editorial Independence

• Do publicly funded media and broadcast organizations still have a place in democracies? What challenges do independent, public service media face in a world where democracy is “under siege?”
• Has VOA consistently provided independent journalism to its audiences?
• Has VOA served as a mouthpiece of the American government or its leaders now, or in the past?

Join Acting VOA Director Yolanda López and a distinguished panel as we discuss this topic.

Introduction: Yolanda López, Acting VOA Director

Moderator: Ndimyake Mwakalyelye, VOA Zimbabwe Service Chief

Panel:
Sanford Ungar, Former VOA Director & Director of the Free Speech Project, Georgetown University
Ann Cooper, Professor Emerita, Columbia Journalism School
Roya Mahboob, Entrepreneur from Afghanistan and founder of the Afghan Robotics Team
Nicholas Cull, Professor of Communication, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism