Amanda Bennett

Personal account - for official follow @usagmceo, USAGM | VOA, RFE/RL, RFA, MBN, OCB, OTF | Trusted news to 410+M people in 100+ countries & 60+ languages

[Sandy Sugawara @SandySugawara]

I'm excited that Cheryl Johnson will be joining @USAGMgov as our Strategic Transformation Officer for Govt Relations. She will lead the legislative and outreach effort to protect our journalists and increase the impact of our work. @abennett

[Jamie Fly @jamiemfly]

A good discussion today with @JanLipavsky, @kozakj and @USAGMgov @usagmceo on shared efforts to safeguard media freedom. We are grateful to @CzechMFA for its long-standing support of @RFERL and our journalists.

[Jamie Fly @jamiemfly]

It was great to welcome @USAGMgov @usagmceo to @RFERL offices in Riga & Prague this week. Our brave and talented journalists discussed how they are providing uncensored, independent news to growing audiences across our coverage region.

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

I was thrilled to lead the in-person U.S. delegation to the 🇳🇱 co-hosted #SummitforDemocracy last week. Thank you to our Dutch partners, journalists, and civil society for a timely discussion on why independent media is more important than ever to strengthen democracies.@DutchMFA

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

Thrilled to talk to the youth correspondents covering the #SummitforDemocracy! A free press is absolutely a cornerstone of democracy. It's going to be these young people, our next generation of journalists, who protect and expand the free press worldwide. https://t.co/Z8InCcQ2ik

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

We've seen the threats to journalists all over the world increase dramatically. Journalism is not a crime.

Read my conversation with @AFP about Evan Gershkovich's arrest, growing threats to media, and the huge demand from our audience for reliable news. https://t.co/4L51mf88QC

[U.S. Agency for Global Media @USAGM]

Behind the scenes today with @USAGMCEO Amanda Bennett, who spoke to @usembthehague & @DutchMFA about media freedom as a cornerstone of democracy at the #SummitforDemocracy in The Hague, Netherlands.

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

A delight to meet with @usambnl and talk about the vital role of a free press as a pillar of democracy across the globe.

#SummitForDemocracy

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

🛬 Wheels down in the The Hague where I’ll be participating in media freedom events of the #SummitforDemocracy!

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

I’m thrilled to be able to reach more audiences — including the Russian diaspora — with this award-winning programming.

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

Human rights activist Tong Yi told @committeeonccp an incredible story about how @VOAnews impacted her

After VOA broke the story of her unjust treatment in a Chinese labor camp, it was picked up by the media & a US official raised the issue. Her treatment "improved dramatically"

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

The Kyrgyz government's escalating attacks on @RFERL's @Azattyk_Radiosu prove just how important their credible, fact-based journalism is.

Read @jamiemfly's Op-Ed on why we should all care what happens next in the fight for press freedom in Kyrgyzstan: https://t.co/rC3yelnqOp

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

Despite the Iranian regime’s escalating attacks on the free press, independent journalists, and the open exchange of ideas, USAGM will not be deterred in our mission to provide audiences in Iran with independent, fact-based journalism.

https://t.co/1iHgGtjpOR

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

Did you know @RFERL's #Georgian Service @RTavisupleba won the EU Prize for Journalism's special prize for peace journalism? They were also shortlisted in seven categories. Congrats @RFERL! This recognition reflects the true power of your unbiased reporting https://t.co/5skjM1eFTx

[Chris | BiasModification @MyBiasMod]

Psychology test:

Let's see what's the first word you see here?

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

ICYMI @nytimes did a great feature on @RFERL showing just how important their mission is today.

Traffic to RFE/RL's websites almost tripled to nearly 70M in the first week of the war, compared to 2021, as people in Ukraine & Russia sought out factual
news
https://t.co/561dggxUjN

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

Does fact-based #news have a chance against #disinformation in the digital age? The answer might surprise you.

Despite operating with only a fraction of the budget of #China's state-controlled media, @VOANews' Mandarin Service had nearly DOUBLE the YouTube views as CCTV in 2022.

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

How do you know if your reporting is making a difference? Let's ask @RadioFreeAsia.

RFA's coverage of the protests against the Chinese government's zero-COVID lockdowns in 2022 broke records for online traffic.

One video showing the protests was viewed over 4 MILLION TIMES.

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

What good is the very best reporting if no one can access it? That's where @OpenTechFund comes in

During the 2022 hijab protests in Iran, usage of OTF circumvention tools jumped from 6M daily users to nearly 30M. That means 1-in-4 Iranians use these tools to access the internet.

[USAGM CEO @usagmceo]

Happy 81st Anniversary, @VOANews! https://t.co/DHOY0rE2Sw