SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
In March, President Trump ordered government broadcasters such as Voice of America and Radio Free Asia be defunded. That executive order is being challenged in court, but the airwaves remain silent. This has concerned the writer Jay Sophalkalyan. He grew up in Cambodia under the dictatorship of Hun Sen. He recently wrote about his experiences in The Dispatch, arguing why he believes that the VOA should remain on the air. Jay Sophalkalyan joins us now. Thanks for being with us.
JAY SOPHALKALYAN: It's an honor to be here.
SIMON: What did Radio Free Asia and Voice of America mean to you, your family and other people in Cambodia?
SOPHALKALYAN: When I was younger, my grandmother, in the morning, she would always listen to these stations. Voice of America and Radio Free Asia didn't sound polish or glossy. They usually came through the radio with this crackle, like a voice trying to push through a fog. My grandma would lean in, like, very close, as if the radio were a secret being whispered just to her. And in a way, it kind of was. For people like her who had seen their country collapse and rebuild and collapse again, it wasn't just news. It was clarity. It was a dignity. It was a signal from the outside world saying that they still see you and they haven't forgotten all about you.
SIMON: You also mentioned the case of Myanmar in your article. Could I ask you to talk about that?
SOPHALKALYAN: Myanmar, right now, is under a military dictatorship. Without Radio Free Asia or Voice of America, it means that there's one less war reporting on airstrikes, disappearances of people and resistant movements, especially in areas that are being cut off by blackouts and censorship. What people will miss isn't just news. They will also miss the truth being told without fear, interviews with dissidents, updates on protests, fact checks on government lies in a place where media is state-controlled, and journalists is often jailed.
SIMON: The Trump administration has claimed that VOA transmits propaganda. And you wrote in this article, quote, "Trump's criticisms may hold a kernel of truth, but the remedy he prescribed is deeply flawed." Could I get you to follow up on that for us?
SOPHALKALYAN: Recently, someone I know from Cornell University reached out to me after they read my article, and they told me that they used to work at Voice of America. They said that in their view, Voice of America tend to lean heavily to the left. That's a fair point to acknowledge, but I feel like the answer isn't to defund them. That's like burning down a house just because you don't like the wallpaper. The right response is to reform, holding them to a higher standard of neutrality, transparency and accountability.
SIMON: The U.S. Agency for Global Media - which oversees VOA - said that American News Network (ph) is going to provide free content to VOA. One American News (ph) is considered a right-wing media operation. I wonder what your reaction is.
SOPHALKALYAN: I feel a little bit strange about it because Trump criticism - you know, Voice of America has - its orientation had gone to the left, and I think this is just, you know, trying to replace one ideology with another ideology by doing this.
SIMON: These days, people can reach millions of people with what they consider to be honest, reliable reporting with just an iPhone. Has VOA, Radio Free Asia and other broadcasters outlived their purpose?
SOPHALKALYAN: I don't think that the internet has replaced any of these broadcasts. It has only made them even more essential. You know, in authoritarian countries, digital censorship is very sophisticated and brutal, and the truth is buried under disinformation. But, you know, shortwave radio still cuts through. Satellite broadcasts still reach people in rural areas with no internet. The fact that people risk their safety to listen, to share, to report, that tells you all you need to know of how important these broadcasts are.
SIMON: Jay Sophalkalyan, born in Cambodia, now a Brooklyn writer. Thanks so much for being with us.
SOPHALKALYAN: Thank you so much. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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