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In the minds of many at the Washington Post, if you believe in and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, then you shouldn’t be qualified to run for public office.
According to Casey Chalk at The Federalist, a man named Robert R. Reilly has been nominated for the position of director at Voice of America. For all intents and purposes, he’s the right man for the job. As Chalk notes, Reilly was director from 2001 to 2002 and produced a weekly talk show there as well.
However, the WaPo editorial board, media columnist Margeret Sullivan, and former VOA director Amanda Bennett have released a series of columns denouncing Reilly, calling him “dangerous” and “extreme” simply on the basis of his Christian beliefs. The specific reason is due to Reilly’s writings on the Catholic teachings about homosexuality:
December 17, 2020
In a series of articles by its editorial board, media columnist Margaret Sullivan, and former Voice of America Director Amanda Bennett, the Washington Post has mounted a coordinated attack on Robert R. Reilly, the new nominee for VOA director, claiming he is an existential threat to the organization’s mission to provide independent reporting to foreign audiences.
The reason they deem Reilly disqualified to serve as VOA director isn’t about a lack of credentials. He was director from 2001 to 2002 and for a decade before that produced a weekly talk show on VOA. No, according to Bennett and WaPo, Reilly is “dangerous” because he believes what the Catholic Church teaches on sexuality which is ironic, to say the least, given legacy media’s favorable coverage of Joe Biden’s Catholic faith.
New Leadership Is Exactly What Voice of America Needs
Commentary By
Helle C. Dale is the Heritage Foundation s senior fellow in public diplomacy. Her work focuses on the U.S. government’s institutions and programs for strategic outreach to the public of foreign countries, as well as more traditional diplomacy. Read her research.
Voice of America is under new leadership starting this week. Author and veteran broadcaster Robert Reilly became the new director of the U.S. government’s flagship broadcast network commonly known as VOA on Monday as part of a desperately-needed cleanup.
Reilly’s appointment was made public in a statement by Michael Pack, the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (which operates VOA). According to Pack, “Bob’s inimitable experience and proven leadership as both a public servant and a private citizen will greatly benefit the entire agency.”
Staff have been recognized nationally for their commitment and innovative services during a turbulent 2020. Maureen Jones, of Powys County Council, nominated the Newtown Area Library team because: “Although they have always had a dynamic team, in Covid-19 they delivered many new services, from calling customers over 70 to online quizzes and creative writing and poetry competitions. “The shift from advising readers to choosing for them was also embraced by the team while overcoming IT barriers and tremendous uncertainty.” The award was presented by Lord Elis-Thomas MS, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism on December 3. The Deputy Minister, said: “Librarians are the heart of the library service and I am continually impressed by the excellent work to make libraries a welcoming place for all.”
Government Executive
email Anonymous Voice Of America Employees Protest New Director
Robert Reilly has a “troubling history of mismanagement at VOA” and is “openly hostile to Muslims and Gays,” wrote the whistleblowers’ senior counsel.
On Monday, a group of anonymous Voice of America employees asked their parent agency to rescind the appointment of their new, “controversial” director.
The Government Accountability Project, a whistleblower advocacy group that represents current and former staff members at VOA, sent a letter to U.S. Agency for Global Media CEO Michael Pack on the employees’ behalf. This was five days after Pack brought in Robert Reilly, conservative author and former government official during Republican administrations, to be director of VOA, replacing a 40-year veteran of the agency. Elez Biberaj, who has been at VOA since 1980, was installed as acting director in June 2020 after Director Amanda Bennett and her deputy resigned