Elez Biberaj

[savevoa @savevoanow]

Joseph Bruns, former VOA deputy director, says audiences trust journalism that is fair, factual, and independent—not propaganda.
Independent journalism is essential to an informed public and a healthy democracy. #SaveVOA

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

Flashback: May 22, 1991

A landmark day: Ismail Kadare, Sali Berisha, and Azem Hajdari testifying before the U.S. Helsinki Commission as Albania took its first fragile steps toward political pluralism. Their words reflected the democratic hopes of a traumatized nation emerging from one of Europe’s harshest communist regimes.

Thirty‑five years later, the aspirations of that moment remain part of Albanians’ collective memory — a reminder of how far Albania has traveled and how much of that early democratic promise still invites sober reflection.

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

Today marks the 83rd anniversary of VOA’s first Albanian language broadcast on May 13, 1943 – a small service with an outsized reach and impact, a steady companion to Albanians through war, dictatorship, isolation, the fragile early years of pluralism, and the consolidation of a democratic order. Its legacy is a reminder of what VOA, at its best, made possible: providing reliable news and information to societies denied it, offering a connection to the outside world when other channels were closed, promoting America’s foreign policy interests, and upholding a standard of journalism that earned trust through accuracy, balance, and editorial independence.

But the real story is not about any particular VOA language service. It is about what the United States has chosen to relinquish. The dismantling of VOA in March 2025 – shuttering 47 language services and subsequently resuming only limited programming in six – represents a profound retreat from the global information landscape. An institution that once served as America’s trusted explainer, presenting the country, warts and all, with accuracy, balance, and independence, played a role few others could: it promoted America’s democratic values, provided a lifeline for information deprived societies, and served as a strategic asset that advanced U.S. interests precisely because it was trusted.

At a time when America’s adversaries are expanding their global media footprint and amplifying anti American narratives, the United States cannot afford to silence its most credible voice or cede the narrative to others. Restoring VOA is essential if America intends to stay engaged in the global information arena and to shape the conversation rather than be shaped by it.

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

Kari Lake’s nomination as ambassador to Jamaica creates an opportunity that must be seized to restore the Voice of America and revive one of the United States’ most effective instruments of soft power and global engagement.

The dismantling of VOA since March 15, 2025, inflicted deep and unnecessary harm on America’s ability to communicate credibly in an information landscape increasingly shaped by adversarial powers. With Ms. Lake’s departure – and with the courts having already voided nearly all actions she took to dismantle the institution – the path to restoring and rebuilding VOA’s capacity and credibility is now unmistakably open. That restoration requires returning Director Michael Abramowitz and the hundreds of mission-driven journalists placed on administrative leave and reestablishing the statutory protections that insulate VOA’s reporters from political pressure. These steps are essential to reconstituting an institution whose credibility has long rested on its editorial independence and adherence to the highest journalistic standards.

The damage caused by VOA’s silencing was significant. America now must confront it without delay and rebuild the trusted voice that has served its interests and values for generations.

https://t.co/Un1S9gkRRT

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

World Press Freedom Day 2026

This year’s World Press Freedom Day coincides with a troubling global decline in press freedom. Journalists are operating under intensifying pressure, media outlets face growing political and economic coercion, and entire societies are losing access to verified, accountable reporting.

In this climate, the silencing of the Voice of America has created a strategic void. For decades, VOA advanced U.S. interests by modeling independent journalism with accuracy and transparency and served as a reference point for media outlets and journalists working under censorship. VOA demonstrated how a publicly funded broadcaster can operate with editorial independence, robust journalistic standards, and a firewall against political interference.

Restoring VOA is a matter of national interests. Its record strengthened U.S. credibility, blunted hostile narratives through fact-based reporting, and promoted America’s democratic values. Reviving it would restore a capability no other institution can replace: the ability to project credible information, advance foreign policy objectives, and compete effectively in an information landscape increasingly dominated by America’s adversaries.

A great nation that promotes and defends freedom must also preserve the institutions that give it substance. Restoring a viable, editorially independent, and adequately funded VOA is part of that responsibility.

[Kim Andrew Elliott @kaedotcom]

Kim's column for the May 2026 Journal of the North American Shortwave Association (NASWA) contains Kim's testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The testimony explains the role of VOA and argues for maintaining VOA's funding for FY 2027.

https://t.co/W33Ln8Ygv0

[savevoa @savevoanow]

“The North Korean people must have information—must have knowledge,” says retired U.S. Army Col. David Maxwell, Korea expert. He urges restoring and fully resourcing VOA. #SaveVOA
https://t.co/r7C9Ibt8ol

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

RIP Kevin Klose

Deeply saddened by the loss of Kevin Klose. I had the privilege of working closely with him during his last stint as director of RFE/RL (2012–14) while I led VOA’s Eurasia Division – a period when cooperation between our organizations deepened in truly meaningful ways.

I remain especially grateful for his friendship and support during a critical period in 2020, when VOA faced a frontal attack on its editorial independence. Kevin understood the stakes and the imperative of defending VOA’s core principles. His words of encouragement, and his quiet but unwavering solidarity, meant more than I can express. I also cherish the signed copy of his masterpiece Russia and the Russians (1984).

A towering figure in international broadcasting, a great journalist, and a generous, principled friend. He will be sorely missed.

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

Remembering Rep. Eliot L. Engel

Rep. Engel's passing marks the loss of an extraordinary public servant who spent decades championing human rights, democratic values, free flow of information, and the voices of people living under oppression. His support for Albania’s democratic transition and advocacy for Kosova's independence left a profound legacy and set a standard for principled engagement.

I had the privilege of interviewing him many times over the years, and he consistently demonstrated principled judgment, empathy, and moral clarity. He was also a true friend of the Voice of America. At the 70th anniversary of VOA’s Albanian Service in 2013, he described VOA as “our main tool in letting people know what America is all about.” While some questioned VOA’s funding, he responded: “Every dollar that we give to VOA comes back to us with hundreds of millions of dollars. Hundreds of millions of dollars with goodwill for America and dollars of good faith in what America is and what it stands for. And I can think of nothing more important as the work that VOA does.”

Rep. Engel’s warning feels even more urgent today, at a time when VOA, the nation’s most effective instrument of soft power, has dangerously been dismantled.

May he rest in peace.

https://t.co/XKP48MPXei

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

The most effective and strategic way for the United States to confront the intensifying wave of disinformation, laid bare once again by The New York Times, is to immediately and fully restore Voice of America operations and provide the funding necessary for it to fulfill its mission. The dismantling that began a year ago has severely undermined U.S. national interests, eroded global credibility, and weakened America’s ability to counter malign influences at a time when adversaries are flooding the information space with distortion and falsehoods.

VOA, protected by a Congressionally mandated firewall that guarantees its editorial independence, remains the most powerful antidote to disinformation, delivering fact based news and information in 49 languages to audiences who trust and rely on it. Rebuilding that capacity requires allowing its legitimate director, the seasoned journalist Michael Abramowitz, to return and lead the institution he was appointed to steward; bringing back the journalists and contractors who were removed; and eliminating self imposed restrictions on hiring highly qualified reporters in the very regions where disinformation is most aggressively deployed.

The war in Iran and its global repercussions have clearly demonstrated that restoring VOA is essential to U.S. national interests. Through truthful, credible, fact based reporting that has long defined its work, VOA can effectively engage global audiences, counter disinformation, and uphold the trust and credibility that underpin America’s influence and leadership.

Trump Officials Try to Fight Foreign Disinformation They Once Dismissed https://t.co/8GEeD3AaJe via @NYTimes

[David Folkenflik @davidfolkenflik]

NEW: A fresh lawsuit from veteran Voice of America journalists alleges @KariLake put propaganda on the network's broadcasts.

My story for NPR:
https://t.co/pFLl4Uu0oQ

[David Folkenflik @davidfolkenflik]

In rebuke to @KariLake, US judge orders 1,000 Voice of America staffers back to work

My story for NPR:
https://t.co/NGgPfXNWOu

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

@kaedotcom I did the same two weeks ago. Really sad!

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

One year ago today, March 15, 2025, the Voice of America was silenced — an act that dimmed one of the United States’ most enduring instruments of soft power, global credibility, and democratic outreach. In the year since, the consequences have only grown clearer: America’s global voice has weakened, its strategic interests have suffered, and its ability to reach key audiences has eroded.

Restoring VOA — its mission, its editorial independence, and its ability to speak freely to the world — is an urgent matter of national interest, democratic integrity, and geopolitical necessity. A revitalized VOA would once again allow the United States to communicate directly with people living under censorship, to counter propaganda with fact‑based reporting, and to demonstrate through action, not just rhetoric, the values of a free press and an open society.

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

35th ANNIVERSARY OF THE REESTABLISHMENT OF U.S.-ALBANIA RELATIONS

U.S. Secretary of State James Baker: "We are with you, you are with us!"

Thirty five years ago – on March 15, 1991 – the United States and Albania resumed full diplomatic relations – after more than fifty years of non-recognition and only three months after the demise of the Albanian communist regime. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed at a ceremony at the State Department by U.S. Assistant Secretary Raymond Seitz and Albania's Foreign Minister Muhamet Kapllani. The ceremony was also attended by the leaders of the opposition Democratic Party, Sali Berisha and Gramoz Pashko.

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

The Foreign Service Journal has posted an excerpt from my forthcoming piece on the strategic impact of VOA’s dismantling and the imperative of restoring a strong, editorially independent VOA as a core element of America’s engagement with the world.

https://t.co/ITbaZ6ciQL

[savevoa @savevoanow]

“Americans don’t always realize that a government-funded outlet can still have professional journalists who don’t produce propaganda,” says former CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty.
#SaveVOA @jillrussia
https://t.co/noPG3tX3JN

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

Let VOA Speak – America and the World Need a Trusted Voice

On this 79th anniversary of VOA’s Russian Service, it is fitting to recall that VOA is one of America’s most effective channels for communicating directly with the Russian people. Since that first VOA broadcast to Russian audiences on February 17, 1947, the need for a credible and independent American voice has never been greater. Yet since March 15, 2025, VOA’s Russian Service, along with nearly all other VOA language services, has been silenced. This is precisely the moment when America can least afford such silence. Russia continues its brutal assault on Ukraine, and Putin’s authoritarian regime remains a potent adversary, challenging U.S. interests and values across every domain.

VOA reached millions of Russians from Europe to the Pacific with comprehensive, fact‑based reporting, clear explanations of U.S. policy, and a perspective unavailable inside Russia’s tightly controlled information space. No other instrument of American soft power can match that combination of reach, credibility, and impact. Muting VOA has been welcomed in the Kremlin, but it has seriously damaged U.S. communication with a strategic audience.

Congress has acknowledged the seriousness of this mistake by approving funding, however inadequate, to keep VOA alive. That action makes clear what should never have been in doubt: shutting down VOA was a profoundly shortsighted decision and a self‑inflicted blow to America’s national interests.

As the head of USAGM, Madame Kari Lake now confronts the consequences of this decision. Real leadership requires recognizing when a policy is fundamentally flawed and correcting course. It is essential to immediately restore VOA broadcasts to strategic audiences such as Russia and Ukraine. But restoration alone is not sufficient. With nearly three decades of experience in journalism, Madame Lake is uniquely positioned to recognize a fundamental truth: the credibility of any news organization depends on its editorial independence and truthful reporting. For VOA to fulfill its mission, it must be guided by the principles that made it one of the world’s most respected international broadcasters, reaching hundreds of millions weekly: providing accurate and objective news and information, adhering to the highest journalistic standards, and maintaining a robust firewall that insulates journalists from political pressure or control. Only by upholding those principles can VOA advance America’s interests and project the democratic values that give our international broadcasts global credibility.

[savevoa @savevoanow]

“When people listen to [VOA] they feel that they're listening to serious news—news that has been well researched,” says Christopher Hill, retired diplomat and foreign policy expert #SaveVOA
@ambchrishill

[Elez Biberaj @EBiberaj]

Today marks the 84th anniversary of the Voice of America – an important moment to remember how this preeminent international broadcaster advanced U.S. national interests, projected America’s democratic values, and served hundreds of millions around the world with accurate, independent news and information. For generations, VOA carried truth across borders, countered propaganda, and gave audiences an unfiltered window into America’s democratic discourse and institutions. Its credibility was earned, not inherited, and it became one of the most effective instruments of American soft power.

Yet at a time when the United States confronts formidable global challenges – Russia’s continuing aggression against Ukraine, democratic backsliding across Eurasia, China’s expanding malign influence operations, Iran’s repression, Venezuela’s turmoil, and persistent conflict and instability across the Middle East and Africa – America’s voice has been deliberately silenced. This is not simply a void; it is an open invitation for adversaries to shape narratives, distort facts, and dominate information spaces where VOA once provided clarity, context, and a trusted alternative.

Reviving VOA is a strategic imperative. A nation that cannot communicate credibly forfeits influence to those who weaponize information. Congress has signaled its intent by approving renewed funding for VOA – insufficient, but a foundation on which to rebuild. What is needed now is leadership willing to recognize the damage done and restore an institution that has long and admirably served America’s policies and national interests.

Those guiding U.S. international broadcasting today face a defining choice. The decision to dismantle VOA has weakened America’s reach, undermined its values, and diminished its ability to speak to global audiences with clarity and integrity. Reversing course would not only strengthen America’s voice – it would reaffirm the principles that have anchored VOA for more than eight decades: press freedom, rigorous journalistic standards, editorial independence, and truthful reporting.

Restoring VOA is not merely a correction of a flawed policy. It is a reaffirmation of America’s commitment to openness, accountability, and the free flow of information. History will not remember who presided over its decline. It will remember who had the courage to restore it.

America needs its voice back. And the world needs it even more.