American writer: We lost the media battle to the benefit of China and Russia policy

The escalating international tensions reveal that the arena of conflict is no longer limited to the military field, but has extended to the information space, which has become an essential lever of power and influence, and it is a topic that is being hotly debated these days within the United States of America.

According to an article by Ilan Berman – Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council and a member of the boards of directors of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Middle East Broadcasting Network – in the American Washington Post, this importance clearly emerged in the war on Gaza, as it seemed that whoever succeeds in shaping the narrative and winning “hearts and minds” will achieve gains that are no less important than those that are decided with weapons.

The writer was surprised that despite this growing awareness of the importance of international media, the United States is moving to dismantle one of its most important institutional tools in this field, which is the US Agency for International Media, which oversees several platforms such as “Voice of America” and “Radio Free Asia.”

The Trump administration’s position

He stated that, since last spring, the administration of US President Donald Trump has continued its attempts to close the agency and restructure its components in limited ways, instead of reforming it and addressing the errors accumulated within it.

This American decline is occurring at a time when Washington’s opponents are expanding their media presence around the world in an unprecedented way, according to Berman.

China, for example – the author explains – pumps billions of dollars annually into “propaganda campaigns and spreading misleading narratives,” and researchers estimated in 2021 that its spending could reach $10 billion annually.

This influence is clearly visible in Africa, where Beijing takes over local media institutions to direct public discourse, and in digital campaigns targeting countries including Taiwan.

The American decline is occurring at a time when Washington’s opponents are expanding their media presence around the world in an unprecedented way, according to Berman.

As for Russia, it increased its propaganda spending in 2025 to about $1.4 billion, despite the economic pressures resulting from its war in Ukraine. Berman said that European estimates indicate that Moscow is spending nearly an additional billion dollars through secret budgets, to expand its influence in Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

In recent months, the Russian RT channel has strengthened its Spanish presence in Chile, launched Sputnik broadcast in Portuguese in Brazil, and RT has also entered into a strategic partnership with the African Broadcasting Union to support its spread on the continent.

Berman added that Iran, in turn, is increasing its media investments despite its economic crisis, as its information spending has increased by more than 30% to reach $400 million.

In contrast to this expansion by competing powers, the United States is noticeably absent from regions that have traditionally been the focus of its influence, such as Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

He adds that the Trump administration does not yet show any coherent vision for managing global media competition or confronting the rising waves of disinformation.

After 9 months – according to Berman – the White House is still focused only on dismantling the US Agency for Global Media and its functions, and there is little evidence that any official in the administration has seriously thought about how to enhance the United States’ basic information priorities, which are to tell America’s story, explain its policies, and effectively confront the distortions and lies spread by others, as he put it.