Western Academia’s War Against Korea, Part 3: Stanford University Celebrates Washington Post Reporter Anna Fifield
Introduction
I posted this picture before in my article “On the Supposed Lack of Diversity in DPRK Media,” but I want to post it again to provide a context in which to begin to examine Stanford University’s bestowing the 2018 Shorenstein Journalism Award upon the Washington Post’s Beijing bureau chief, Anna Fifield.
In the above tweet, Fifield is attacking DPRK media over its supposed lack of diversity. Perusing Fifield’s Twitter history for references to DPRK “state media,” one may only conclude that Fifield is contemptuous of the single-hearted unity displayed by the citizen-controlled media of a socialist state. The system that Fifield favors is one in which media clerks dutifully perform a public-relations role on behalf of imperialists. Ironically, although Fifield disparages “state media,” she is an enthusiastic participant in the creation of a US state media, which one can see by examining Fifield’s extensive record of promoting anti-DPRK propaganda outlets funded by millions of CIA dollars.
The National Endowment for Democracy
The “millions of CIA dollars” to which I refer above specifically come from a US government-funded agency known as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and it is important to understand the role of NED before one looks at Fifield’s reporting in more detail. One may be tempted to point out that NED and the CIA are not one in the same, but as William Blum says in his book Rogue State, “In effect, the CIA has been laundering money through NED.”
NED was founded in 1983 to rebrand CIA covert activities after a spate of bad press. As then-NED President Carl Gershman said in 1986: “It would be terrible for democratic groups around the world to be seen as subsidized by the C.I.A. We saw that in the 60’s, and that’s why it has been discontinued. We have not had the capability of doing this, and that’s why [NED] was created.”
NED claims to be a "private, nonprofit foundation" with a “nongovernmental character," but as Blum writes: "NGO is the wrong category. NED is a GO." This statement is borne out by NED’s annual report for fiscal-year 2016, in which NED received $179,694,372 from the US government. It received only $1,645,559 from nongovernment sources during the same period.
Blum describes NED’s activities and the anti-socialist motivation behind them:
In a multitude of ways, NED meddles in the internal affairs of numerous foreign countries by supplying funds, technical know-how, training, educational materials, computers, faxes, copiers, automobiles, and so on, to selected political groups, civic organizations, labor unions, dissident movements, student groups, book publishers, newspapers, other media, etc. NED typically refers to the media it supports as “independent” despite the fact that these media are on the US payroll.
NED programs generally impart the basic philosophy that working people and other citizens are best served under a system of free enterprise, class cooperation, collective bargaining, minimal government intervention in the economy, and opposition to socialism in any shape or form. A free-market economy is equated with democracy, reform, and growth; and the merits of foreign investment in their economy are emphasized.
Even NED’s founders admit that NED is the spawn of the CIA. Per Blum, "Allen Weinstein, who helped draft the legislation establishing NED, was quite candid when he said in 1991: 'A lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA.'"
Anna Fifield Pays the Dividend on NED’s $5.4 Million Investment
Anna Fifield’s “journalism” for the Washington Post has promoted anti-DPRK propaganda organizations that have received a total of at least $5.4 million from the National Endowment for Democracy since 2014. Of course, Fifield almost never discloses NED's financial ties to these groups.
Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights
In August 2014, Fifield promoted Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, which has received at least $1,155,000 from the National Endowment for Democracy since 2014. The Citizens' Alliance-NED relationship began in 2014 if not before.
The Daily NK
The absurd level of support that Fifield has shown for anti-DPRK disinformation outlet The Daily NK is impossible to quantify. The Daily NK has received at least $1,185,000 from the National Endowment for Democracy since 2014.
Unification Media Group
The parent company of Fifield-promoted The Daily NK is Unification Media Group, which has received $2,120,000 from the National Endowment for Democracy since 2014.
HanVoice Support Association
In November 2017, Fifield promoted an affiliate of HanVoice Support Association, which has received at least $38,319 from the National Endowment for Democracy since 2017. The HanVoice-NED relationship began in 2017 if not before.
North Korea Strategy Center
In September 2016, Fifield promoted North Korea Strategy Center, which has received at least $130,000 from the National Endowment for Democracy since 2014. The North Korea Strategy Center-NED relationship began in 2014 if not before.
Transitional Justice Working Group
In July 2017, Fifield promoted Transitional Justice Working Group, which has received at least $398,781 from the National Endowment for Democracy since 2015. The Transitional Justice Working Group-NED relationship began in 2015 if not before.
Unity Bridge of Woorion, AKA Woorion
In August 2018, Fifield promoted Unity Bridge of Woorion, AKA Woorion, which has received at least $30,000 from the National Endowment for Democracy since 2017. The Woorion-NED relationship began in 2017 if not before.
Now Action and Unity for Human Rights
In January 2018, Fifield promoted Now Action and Unity for Human Rights, which has received at least $383,000 from the National Endowment for Democracy since 2014. The Now Action-NED relationship began in 2014 if not before.
Conclusion
Stanford University’s celebration of Anna Fifield is exemplary as a nexus of anti-DPRK propaganda, academia, and intelligence agencies. Stanford has taken at least $2 million from RoK’s National Intelligence Service. Fifield’s reporting at the Washington Post has promoted anti-DPRK organizations that have taken at least $5.4 million from the US government. In the relationship between Stanford and Fifield, we can see how empire’s disinformation producers work to boost and legitimize each other, and we can get some sense of the price that empire assigns to its disinformation campaigns. We can also see that Fifield’s attacks on DPRK state media are meant to obscure the role that she and so many other Western media clerks play in the construction of USA’s own state media.
Related
Western Academia’s War Against Korea, Part 1: Introduction, Stanford University, Gi-wook Shin
Western Academia’s War Against Korea, Part 2: Stanford University Attempts to Erase the Revolution from DPRK
