Changes

Another key focus for NED is to establish and support pro-Western media outlets and [[NGO]]s that backed both the 2014 overthrow of Yanukovych and the new government's privatization agenda. This is all couched as “promoting independent media.” But in reality, it is creating a network largely dependent on and answerable to Washington.  One example of this is the Ukraine Crisis Media Center, which consistently publishes studies about “Russia’s efforts to distort facts” and scare stories about an impending Russian invasion, while inviting the British ambassador to give talks at its headquarters. Ukraine Crisis describes its vision of Ukraine as an “outpost of freedom and democratic development in Eastern Europe,” and an “integral part of the West.” Ukraine Crisis is directly funded by a number of different U.S. governmental organizations, as well as by NATO and the governments of Germany, [[Canada]], the United Kingdom, [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Poland]], [[Finland]] and the [[Netherlands]].

Another key focus for NED is to establish and support pro-Western media outlets and [[NGO]]s that backed both the 2014 overthrow of Yanukovych and the new government's privatization agenda. This is all couched as “promoting independent media.” But in reality, it is creating a network largely dependent on and answerable to Washington.  One example of this is the Ukraine Crisis Media Center, which consistently publishes studies about “Russia’s efforts to distort facts” and scare stories about an impending Russian invasion, while inviting the British ambassador to give talks at its headquarters. Ukraine Crisis describes its vision of Ukraine as an “outpost of freedom and democratic development in Eastern Europe,” and an “integral part of the West.” Ukraine Crisis is directly funded by a number of different U.S. governmental organizations, as well as by NATO and the governments of Germany, [[Canada]], the United Kingdom, [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Poland]], [[Finland]] and the [[Netherlands]].

Most of the media organizations NED funds also maintain English-language versions of their websites. This is because many of these groups are used to influence Western audiences as well as individuals inside the target country, Ukraine. The Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), for example, has been supported financially since 2016 and has received at least $204,000 from NED. It plays an important role in injecting U.S. government narratives into American media reporting, having been presented simply as a “human rights group” in a wide range of outlets, including ''The Washington Post'', ''[[USA Today]]'' and ''[[The New York Post]]''. None of these articles inform readers that CCL is directly in the pay of a CIA front group, precisely because it would undermine their credibility.

Most of the media organizations NED funds also maintain English-language versions of their websites. This is because many of these groups are used to influence Western audiences as well as individuals inside the target country, Ukraine. The Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), for example, has been supported financially since 2016 and has received at least $204,000 from NED. It plays an important role in injecting [[U.S. government]] [[narrative]]s into [[American]] [[media]] reporting, having been presented simply as a “[[human rights]] group” in a wide range of outlets, including ''The [[Washington Post]]'', ''[[USA Today]]'' and ''[[The New York Post]]''. None of these articles inform readers that CCL is directly in the pay of a [[CIA]] [[front group]], precisely because it would undermine their credibility.

Media networks directly owned and operated by the U.S. state, including [[Radio Free Europe]]/Radio Liberty and [[Voice of America]], also frequently use CCL as an expert source. This gives the impression that there is a sizable groundswell of individuals all focusing on the same issue when, in reality, it is simply operatives from the same source (the U.S. government) all interacting with each other.

Media networks directly owned and operated by the U.S. state, including [[Radio Free Europe]]/Radio Liberty and [[Voice of America]], also frequently use CCL as an expert source. This gives the impression that there is a sizable groundswell of individuals all focusing on the same issue when, in reality, it is simply operatives from the same source (the U.S. government) all interacting with each other.