Robert Scheer SI Podcast SI: Democracy & Media

Geoff Cowan: An Aggressive Press Is Essential

The USC professor and former director of Voice of America (VOA) discusses the need for a strong press and opposition during the Trump presidency.
Professor Geoff Cowan discusses the need for a strong press and opposition during the Trump presidency.
Photo courtesy of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands 

Geoff Cowan is a professor at the University of Southern California, where he served as Dean of the school’s journalism program. In the 1990s, he also served as director of Voice of America (VOA), the broadcasting arm of the US Information Agency. Cowan tells Robert Scheer that the aim of VOA has always been to stop the spread of propaganda and give people the facts. Cowan says a tenacious press is absolutely essential, especially right now. And he talks about how the move toward identity politics in recent years contributed to Trump’s win.

Credits

Host:
Robert Scheer

Producers:
Joshua ScheerRebecca Mooney