II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4808 

To protect the independence of journalists by preventing undue political 

influence at the United States Agency for Global Media. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 19, 2020 

Mr. MURPHY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To protect the independence of journalists by preventing 

undue political influence at the United States Agency 

for Global Media. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. NONINTERFERENCE STANDARDS FOR UNITED 

4 STATES INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING. 

5 Section 303(a) of the United States International 

6 Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6202(a)) is amend7 ed— 

8 (1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

9 end; 


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1 (2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at 

2 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

3 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(9) expect noninterference from other United 

5 States Government agencies or officials with respect 

6 to its journalists, particularly any investigation into 

7 the private political views expressed by its journal8 ists.’’. 

9 SEC. 2. RESPONSIBILITY OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TO 

10 PROTECT JOURNALISTS AND OTHER EM11 PLOYEES FROM UNDUE INFLUENCE AND AD12 VERSE ACTIONS BASED ON EXPRESSION OF 

13 POLITICAL VIEWS. 

14 Section 305(b) of the United States International 

15 Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6204(b)) is amend16 ed— 

17 (1) in the subsection heading, by inserting 

18 ‘‘AND JOURNALISTS’’ after ‘‘BROADCASTERS’’; 

19 (2) by striking ‘‘the Board’’ each place such 

20 term appears and inserting ‘‘the United States 

21 Agency for Global Media’’; 

22 (3) by striking ‘‘shall respect’’ and inserting the 

23 following: ‘‘shall— 

24 ‘‘(2) respect’’; and 


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1 (4) by striking the period at the end and insert2 ing a semicolon; and 

3 (5) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(2) protect United States Agency for Global 

5 Media journalists from any undue interference from 

6 United States Government agencies or officials; and 

7 ‘‘(3) ensure that United States Agency for 

8 Global Media employees are judged solely on the 

9 basis of their adherence to professional standards of 

10 broadcast journalism in the course of their work.’’. 

11 SEC. 3. INVESTIGATION OF INFRINGEMENTS TO JOUR12 NALIST INDEPENDENCE BY THE INSPECTOR 

13 GENERAL. 

14 Section 310A of the United States International 

15 Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6209) is amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Broadcasting 

17 Board of Governors’’ and inserting ‘‘United States 

18 Agency for Global Media’’; and 

19 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(c) INVESTIGATION OF INFRINGEMENTS TO JOUR21 NALIST INDEPENDENCE.—The Inspector General of the 

22 Department of State and the Foreign Service shall, in the 

23 course of his or her duties, investigate any potential in24 fringements to journalistic independence by United States 

25 Agency for Global Media senior officials or other Federal 


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1 officials, including informal and formal attempts to influ2 ence the content of broadcasts or to exert pressure on 

3 journalists.’’. 

Æ 


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