Title: A bill to protect the independence of journalists by preventing undue political influence at the United States Agency for Global Media.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This bill modifies provisions related to journalistic independence and the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees public service media networks that provide news and information in countries where the press is restricted.
Specifically, the bill establishes a noninterference standard that provides U.S. international broadcasting with the expectation that other U.S. government agencies or officials shall not interfere with its journalists. It also requires the Department of State and the Broadcast Board of Governors to (1) respect the professional independence and integrity of the USAGM, its broadcasting services, and its grantees; (2) protect USAGM journalists from undue interference by U.S. government agencies or officials; and (3) ensure that USAGM employees are judged solely on the basis of their adherence to professional standards of broadcast journalism.
Further, the bill requires the Inspector General of the State Department and the Foreign Service to investigate any potential infringements to journalistic independence by senior USAGM officials or other federal officials.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4808 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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.

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

SECTION 1. NONINTERFERENCE STANDARDS FOR UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL 
              BROADCASTING.

    Section 303(a) of the United States International Broadcasting Act 
of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6202(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (7), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) expect noninterference from other United States 
        Government agencies or officials with respect to its 
        journalists, particularly any investigation into the private 
        political views expressed by its journalists.''.

SEC. 2. RESPONSIBILITY OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TO PROTECT 
              JOURNALISTS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES FROM UNDUE INFLUENCE AND 
              ADVERSE ACTIONS BASED ON EXPRESSION OF POLITICAL VIEWS.

    Section 305(b) of the United States International Broadcasting Act 
of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6204(b)) is amended--
            (1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and 
        Journalists'' after ``Broadcasters'';
            (2) by striking ``the Board'' each place such term appears 
        and inserting ``the United States Agency for Global Media'';
            (3) by striking ``shall respect'' and inserting the 
        following: ``shall--
            ``(2) respect''; and
            (4) by striking the period at the end and inserting a 
        semicolon; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) protect United States Agency for Global Media 
        journalists from any undue interference from United States 
        Government agencies or officials; and
            ``(3) ensure that United States Agency for Global Media 
        employees are judged solely on the basis of their adherence to 
        professional standards of broadcast journalism in the course of 
        their work.''.

SEC. 3. INVESTIGATION OF INFRINGEMENTS TO JOURNALIST INDEPENDENCE BY 
              THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

    Section 310A of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 
1994 (22 U.S.C. 6209) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``Broadcasting Board of 
        Governors'' and inserting ``United States Agency for Global 
        Media''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Investigation of Infringements to Journalist Independence.--
The Inspector General of the Department of State and the Foreign 
Service shall, in the course of his or her duties, investigate any 
potential infringements to journalistic independence by United States 
Agency for Global Media senior officials or other Federal officials, 
including informal and formal attempts to influence the content of 
broadcasts or to exert pressure on journalists.''.
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