Opinion | Secretary of State Pompeo's attacks on the media threaten freedom of speech around the world. By BrettBruen.
There is a reason diplomats and people representing America abroad placed the principle of press freedom over the immediate pressure to advance our policies. These foreign journalists were the same ones who posed tough questions of their leaders. Even if they weren't objective or able to scrutinize others in the same way, our willingness to engage set a powerful example.equally blemishes our standing on the world stage.
When I was serving as a diplomat in Madagascar, a coup leader threatened to shut down an opposition radio station. The station asked me to do an interview at their studios. It was a dangerous mission and I had to be accompanied by diplomatic security. The French Embassy called to tell me it was a provocative move and I shouldn't go. Yet, that's what we did. I spent an hour on air talking about the importance of press freedom.
I've heard from former colleagues still in the Foreign Service about Pompeo's tendency to lose his cool when subordinates present him with information that is inconsistent with his interests. This means important issues are just not being raised to the top level and problems are left to percolate. The Secretary can still straighten things out. An apology to journalists would go a long way. I know how powerful admitting mistakes and asking forgiveness can be for American diplomacy. It would earn him and our country badly needed goodwill.
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