Former VOA director David Ensor on Trump's attacks: 'There's something in the water... and it's not good'

Reliable Sources

CNN

News

3.4 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 1 May 2020

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What is driving President Trump's recent barbs at the federally-funded news outlet Voice of America? David Ensor, former director of VOA, speaks with Brian Stelter about the president's attacks and the news organization's mission. Contrary to the White House's claims, VOA has "done a thorough job of covering and uncovering Chinese misinformation," he says. "It is a truthful news organization that really tries to get to the bottom of things and that represents all views on issues."To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	What is going on with President Trump and Voice of America?
0:05.0	In the midst of a global pandemic, he has still found time to assail a news outlet that is federally funded.
0:14.7	So that's the topic of this week's Reliable Sources Podcast.
0:18.0	Let's cue the music.
0:19.7	I'm your host Brian Stelter.
0:22.0	Coming to you once again this week from my apartment as we're in I don't even know what week of this ongoing pandemic and work from home like in between President Trump's briefings and press availability,
0:34.0	talking about the pandemic, he has found plenty of time to assail the media.
0:38.0	And he's targeted one outlet in particular that is federally funded, Voice of America.
0:46.0	It's a broadcaster that reaches all around the world with news and information and American perspective.
0:54.8	As political put it in late April,
0:56.8	conservative anger over China and the US media is finding a convenient
1:00.8	foil in Voice of America's Chief Amanda Bennett.
1:05.2	So to find out what's going on and to understand VOA's role in the media universe,
1:10.6	I want to bring in Amanda Bennett's predecessor, David Ensor.
1:15.0	David was the director of VOA before Bennett took over.
1:19.0	You may also know him as a former CNN correspondent, a former ABC Newser, and currently the Director of the Project
1:26.1	for Media and National Security at the George Washington University.
1:31.0	David, thanks for coming on.
1:32.0	It's pleasure. Tell me first about your experience at
1:37.0	VOA and why the network, why the operation is so special.
1:45.0	I was I had the honor to serve as the director from 2011 to 2015.
1:51.0	What's so special about VOA is the enormous reach that it has.
	...

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