US Congress Needs To Clarify Public Broadcaster Protection From Political Meddling - GAO

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2021) Congress should act to protect public broadcasters in six networks overseen by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) from political meddling, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report on Wednesday.

"According to USAGM, the firewall protecting the networks' independence is central to the credibility and effectiveness of USAGM's networks," the report said. "However, the parameters of the firewall are not specifically laid out in legislation."

GAO said in the report the delineation of what is and is not permissible under the firewall may help ensure the professional independence and integrity of the agency and its networks.

"Network and USAGM officials said that previous members of USAGM leadership took several actions that did not align with USAGM's firewall principles. According to USAGM, the firewall protecting the networks' independence is central to the credibility and effectiveness of USAGM's networks," the report added.

Amendments to legislation have affected USAGM's governing authorities and organizational structure by shifting authority from a bipartisan board to a CEO, with advice from an Advisory Board, according to the report.