Why the closure of Radio Liberty should have been a Ukrainian victory, but became a US defeat
When I worked at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), we used to joke that our goal was to get ourselves shut down.
Because RFE/RL operates only in places where there are problems with democracy. Our triumph as a country would have been to outgrow the Ukrainian edition.
It’s important to understand that all media in our country could be divided into five types, based on the motives of their sponsors.
Media owned by financial-industrial groups. Wealthy individuals bought TV channels to protect their businesses through information control and for status—like owning a football club. They traded media loyalty for concessions from the government. The agenda of these outlets depended on the owner’s relationship with the ruling elite.
Media that tried to operate as businesses. They faced numerous challenges. The advertising market was tiny, competition with "state-subsidized media" was fierce, and audiences were not used to paying for content. As a result, any market-driven startup was doomed to chase profitability like a donkey chasing a carrot.
State-funded media. Every government liked to conflate its own interests with those of the state, demanding that these outlets serve as mouthpieces and propagandists. Before the emergence of [Public Broadcasting Company] Suspilne, this niche was cursed. Now, Suspilne is the only spoonful of honey in a barrel of obedient and subservient media.
There were also media outlets with Western funding. They provided the informational equivalent of a subsistence minimum—a kind of thermometer of common sense.
They didn’t worry about breaking even, didn’t seek advertising, and could focus on quality over quantity. They understood values and mission.
Donald Trump first cut their grants, then dismantled RFE/RL and Voice of America. Now, only BBC, DW, and perhaps a few others remain in this niche.
And then there were those who took money from Moscow. Directly or through intermediaries. Under the guise of media or blogger status. Today, they are celebrating.
I had hoped that RFE/RL would be shut down because we had succeeded.
It was shut down because the United States failed.
