In this episode, Patsy Widakuswara, Voice of America's Washington bureau chief, breaks down the lawsuit that bears her name and what it means for the survival of VOA. She shares how the legal fight reshaped the lives of hundreds of journalists placed on leave. Alongside VOA's press freedom editor Jessica Jerreat, she explores what’s at stake for editorial independence and public trust. The two unpack Congress’s recent funding decision for U.S. Agency for Global Media and whether it signals stability ahead. They also reflect on political pressure, newsroom resilience, and reporting in uncertain times. How do journalists keep doing their jobs when the institution itself is under threat? And what does this moment reveal about the global fight for press freedom?

This interview was conducted by Alan Herrera, who oversees AFPC-USA's editorial operations.

In Minnesota, journalism students are preparing for a reality few classrooms once imagined.

Senior lecturer Regina McCombs discusses how today’s reporters must navigate not only misinformation and AI-generated media, but also real-world safety risks. Through the new Crisis Ready Media initiative, students are receiving training typically reserved for professionals covering conflict zones. The program includes hostile-environment awareness and first-aid instruction designed to help journalists make smart decisions in volatile situations. Organized alongside local newsroom partners, the training reflects the pressures facing reporters amid ICE operations and protests in Minneapolis. McCombs explains why preparation, ethics, and verification matter more than ever in an era of disinformation. Participation is voluntary, underscoring that safety and choice remain central to the program’s mission. This episode explores how journalism education is evolving — and what it means for the next generation of reporters.

This interview was conducted by Alan Herrera, who oversees AFPC-USA's editorial operations.

In this episode, Caren Bohan reflects on three decades in American journalism — from local reporting to the White House beat to leading the newsroom at USA Today. She offers practical guidance for foreign correspondents, discusses the challenges facing political reporting, and explores how the industry is adapting to rapid technological and economic changes.

This interview was conducted by Roseanne Gerin, a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience and former editor at Radio Free Asia in Washington.

Western governments are racing to loosen China’s grip on rare earth minerals — but is that strategy too narrow to work? In this episode, Hinrich Foundation Senior Research Fellow Stewart Paterson explains based on his research why special interventions and short-term fixes won’t solve deeper supply-chain vulnerabilities. Drawing lessons from the Russia–Ukraine war, he highlights how many critical technologies depend on industrial processes the West no longer produces at scale. What does real resilience look like when global trade is weaponized? And how can allied nations rebuild capacity without turning inward?

The conversation looks beyond rare earths to the broader question of economic security in an era of geopolitical fragmentation. Paterson spoke to Roseanne Gerin, a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience and former editor at Radio Free Asia in Washington.

This episode was produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. AFPC-USA is solely responsible for the content of this episode.

In this episode, Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael Al-Dahdouh reflects on reporting a war he says is “unprecedented in modern history.” As one of the few journalists able to document the conflict from inside Gaza, he describes covering mass destruction while grieving the loss of his own family members. Al-Dahdouh explains why he refuses to stop reporting, the collapse of press protections, and the rise of citizen journalists filling critical gaps. He also addresses widespread frustration with international media coverage and the moral weight of telling Gaza’s story under fire. His message is a call for courage, accuracy, and global solidarity among journalists—even when the cost is extraordinary.

This interview was conducted by Alan Herrera, who oversees AFPC-USA's editorial operations.

How are Trump’s auto tariffs reshaping the global car industry?

In this episode, the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the U.S. (AFPC-USA), in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation, dives into the ripple effects of trade tensions on automakers worldwide. Host Paul Beckett (Wall Street Journal) speaks with Yuka Hayashi, VP at The Asia Group and author of new Hinrich research, on why some automakers are hit harder than others. From Japan to South Korea to Europe, the conversation unpacks who’s losing, who’s adapting, and what it all means for the future of global trade.

This episode was produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. AFPC-USA is solely responsible for the content of this episode.

In this episode of our Foreign Press Podcast, we met with Mohamed Moawad, an award-winning Arab journalist who is the Managing Editor for Al Jazeera Media Network, to discuss the ongoing crisis in Gaza and how it is impacting the organization's journalists—to say nothing of others who work round the clock to document its sheer scale. Al Jazeera Media Network recently published a call to action to protect Gaza's journalists; an unprecedented number have been targeted and killed since the crisis began.

Join us for an educational yet sobering look into the issues affecting journalists and what Al Jazeera Media Network is doing to highlight their struggles.

This interview was conducted by Alan Herrera, who is AFPC-USA's Editorial Supervisor.

On July 8, the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC-USA) hosted a podcast episode produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. The episode focused on the US-China tech rivalry, specifically on how smartphones have influenced the contentious relationship between the two nations amid global trade tensions.

The episode was hosted by Vlad Savov, the Technology Editor for Bloomberg News in Hong Kong. The podcast guest was Michael Enright, the Pierre Choueiri Family Professor in Global Business at Northeastern University, who specializes in international competitiveness and business strategy. He recently published a paper for the Hinrich Foundation that dove into the smartphone issue, sharing key insights that demystify another dimension of the sensitive matters impacting global trade.

The United States has a complicated relationship with immigration. Or, does it? In this podcast episode, we unpack immigration policies in the US and narratives around immigration with Prof. Hiroshi Motomura and Prof. Cecilia Menjívar from UCLA.

This interview was conducted by Ankita M. Kumar, who is an AFPC-USA Professional Excellence awardee.

On our latest episode, economist and journalist Adam Creighton speaks with Naoise McDonagh, a senior lecturer at Edith Cowan University, about the hidden but vital role of rare earth minerals in today’s global economy. McDonagh explains how these minerals power technologies from EVs to military gear, and why their dominance by China poses serious challenges for the West. From "super magnets" to medical imaging, catalytic converters to aerospace materials—the reach of rare earths is vast. They’re not just economic assets, McDonagh says—they’re national security imperatives.

This episode was produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. AFPC-USA is solely responsible for the content of this episide.