Radio Free Asia
Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a United States government-funded private non-profit corporation operating a news service that broadcasts radio programs and publishes online news, information, and commentary for its audiences in Asia.[5][6][7][8] The service, which provides editorially independent reporting,[6][7][8] has the stated mission of providing accurate and uncensored reporting to countries in Asia that have poor media environments and limited protections for speech and press freedom[9][10][11] and "advancing the goals of United States foreign policy."[12]
This article is about the news outlet founded in the 1990s. For other organizations with a similar name, see Radio Free Asia (disambiguation).Abbreviation
RFA
March 12, 1996[1]
52-1968145
Broadcast Media
Bay Fang[2]
Min Mitchell[3]
Carolyn Bartholomew (Chair), Michael J. Green, Michael Kempner, Keith Richburg, Shanthi Kalathil, Allison Hooker
$51.3 million (2023)
253[4]
Based on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and preceded by the CIA-operated Radio Free Asia (Committee for a Free Asia), it was established by the US International Broadcasting Act of 1994 with the stated aim of "promoting democratic values and human rights", and countering the narratives and monopoly on information distribution of the Chinese Communist Party, as well as providing media reports about the North Korean government.[13] It is funded and supervised by the U.S. Agency for Global Media[14] (formerly Broadcasting Board of Governors), an independent agency of the United States government.
RFA distributes content in ten Asian languages for audiences in Mainland China, Hong Kong, North Korea, Laos, Cambodia,[15] Vietnam and Myanmar.[16]
Disputes[edit]
In early November 2012, Ngabo Jigme, director of the Tibetan language department of Radio Free Asia, was suddenly fired. It is said that the reason why Ngapoi Jigme was fired by RFA was that he allowed the Tibetan language department to express "opposition to the Tibetan government-in-exile" and because Ngapoi Jigme was "disrespectful" to the 14th Dalai Lama. This caused dissatisfaction with the Tibetan government-in-exile; RFA was pressured to fire Ngabo Jigme. Although the Tibetan government-in-exile and RFA denied it, the incident was still questioned by many parties. RFA's long-term consultant Maura Moynihan called it a "scandal"[68] and Tibetan writer An Leye Calling this a "farce", American Tibetologist Elliot Sperling said "there are several assertions that the political conspiracy of exiled government leaders to put pressure on the RFA was the main reason for Ngabo Jigme's dismissal".[69]
On May 10, 2020, RFA published a news article titled "China Border Inspection Strengthens Inspection of Entry and Exit Nationals, International Students Had Their Passports Cut",[70] which contained a screenshot of a Reddit post by a user who said his passport had been clipped by China's border inspections. However, it was later revealed that the user's attached picture was stolen from someone else. The news triggered criticism from mainland Chinese media, saying that the facts stated in the news were inconsistent with the situation.[71]
Radio Free Asia has received several awards for its journalism, including:
