Georgia music icons R.E.M. release new video of ‘Radio Free Europe’ for World Press Freedom Day

Legendary Athens Ga band R E M in the present day distributed an updated music video set to a remix of their debut single Radio Free Europe recorded by producer Mitch Easter in his North Carolina studio in April The new video celebrates the th anniversary of Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty station established by the United States years ago to broadcast news and information where a free press is either banned or under threat a release from the band stated The mission of Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty according to its website is to promote democratic values with uncensored news The stations reach million monthly listeners across countries and languages The organization falls under the U S Agency for Global Media USAGM an independent federal agency overseeing masses amenity media networks R E M s video is timed to honor World Press Freedom Day on May World Press Freedom Day was first proclaimed by the U N General Assembly in December following the recommendation of UNESCO s General Conference Its theme explores challenges at the intersection of instrument and press freedom but also arrives when a free press including Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty is under assault Whether it s music or a free press censorship anywhere is a threat to the truth everywhere R E M singer Michael Stipe explained on Friday On World Press Freedom Day I m sending a shout-out to the brave journalists at Radio Free Europe On March President Trump s Executive Order titled Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy initiated measures to eliminate the non-statutory components of USAGM and functions to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law USAGM and the outlets it oversees will be reduced to their statutory functions and associated personnel will be reduced to the minimum presence and function required by law A federal judge this week ordered the Republican administration to restore million to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty that was appropriated by Congress the Associated Press revealed Friday Lawyers for the arrangement noted it would be forced to shut down in June without the money In its reporting about Trump s May executive order to cut all federal funding PBS and NPR PBS noted Friday that efforts to dismantle RFE RL have faced pushback from federal courts who have ruled in certain cases that the Trump administration may have overstepped its authority in holding back funds appropriated to the outlets by Congress Along with the Radio Free Europe video R E M is donating the proceeds from vinyl sales of its Radio Free Europe a five-track EP featuring a remix by longtime collaborator Jacknife Lee and original producer Mitch Easter s remix Radio Free Dub to RFE RL a private nonprofit corporation The post Georgia music icons R E M release new video of Radio Free Europe for World Press Freedom Day appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta