Steve Herman

contributed to the bringing down of the Berlin Wall, not only for the news and the information, giving hope to people, but also for putting on programs such as jazz music, which apparently was considered quite subversive if you were listening in communist countries at the time. And of course, it was assailed by those in Moscow, in Beijing, as American propaganda. And it still is.

contributed to the bringing down of the Berlin Wall, not only for the news and the information, giving hope to people, but also for putting on programs such as jazz music, which apparently was considered quite subversive if you were listening in communist countries at the time. And of course, it was assailed by those in Moscow, in Beijing, as American propaganda. And it still is.

contributed to the bringing down of the Berlin Wall, not only for the news and the information, giving hope to people, but also for putting on programs such as jazz music, which apparently was considered quite subversive if you were listening in communist countries at the time. And of course, it was assailed by those in Moscow, in Beijing, as American propaganda. And it still is.

In fact, the people who are celebrating the demise this week of VOA are those in the halls of power, in the autocratic regimes, in Moscow, in Beijing, in Naypyidaw, in Tehran.

In fact, the people who are celebrating the demise this week of VOA are those in the halls of power, in the autocratic regimes, in Moscow, in Beijing, in Naypyidaw, in Tehran.

In fact, the people who are celebrating the demise this week of VOA are those in the halls of power, in the autocratic regimes, in Moscow, in Beijing, in Naypyidaw, in Tehran.

You're not hearing any programming. And most, I think, people in Iran watch VOA. It comes to them via satellite television. A lot of people in Tehran have satellite dishes up to watch it. So there's just a video loop running. There's no programming. It's just a promo.

You're not hearing any programming. And most, I think, people in Iran watch VOA. It comes to them via satellite television. A lot of people in Tehran have satellite dishes up to watch it. So there's just a video loop running. There's no programming. It's just a promo.

You're not hearing any programming. And most, I think, people in Iran watch VOA. It comes to them via satellite television. A lot of people in Tehran have satellite dishes up to watch it. So there's just a video loop running. There's no programming. It's just a promo.

Explaining what the Voice of America is, which is kind of ironic because we're voiceless at the moment.

Explaining what the Voice of America is, which is kind of ironic because we're voiceless at the moment.

Explaining what the Voice of America is, which is kind of ironic because we're voiceless at the moment.

Oh, they're astounded. I can tell you, I've been a foreign correspondent, Sean, in a number of countries. And when state media, all of a sudden, that the programming would stop and maybe music would come on, that was indicative that there was a coup being carried out, right? It was something really dire.

Oh, they're astounded. I can tell you, I've been a foreign correspondent, Sean, in a number of countries. And when state media, all of a sudden, that the programming would stop and maybe music would come on, that was indicative that there was a coup being carried out, right? It was something really dire.

Oh, they're astounded. I can tell you, I've been a foreign correspondent, Sean, in a number of countries. And when state media, all of a sudden, that the programming would stop and maybe music would come on, that was indicative that there was a coup being carried out, right? It was something really dire.

And so a lot of people who are in these countries that don't have a free press or are autocratic are wondering – What is really going on in the United States? There's been no broadcast explaining to them why VOA is suddenly off the air. And the American people are not our audience, but they are stakeholders. Your taxpayers pay for this.

And so a lot of people who are in these countries that don't have a free press or are autocratic are wondering – What is really going on in the United States? There's been no broadcast explaining to them why VOA is suddenly off the air. And the American people are not our audience, but they are stakeholders. Your taxpayers pay for this.

And so a lot of people who are in these countries that don't have a free press or are autocratic are wondering – What is really going on in the United States? There's been no broadcast explaining to them why VOA is suddenly off the air. And the American people are not our audience, but they are stakeholders. Your taxpayers pay for this.

And a lot of people will tell you in the realm of public diplomacy, this is probably the biggest bang for our buck in terms of the hard edge of soft power.

And a lot of people will tell you in the realm of public diplomacy, this is probably the biggest bang for our buck in terms of the hard edge of soft power.