The effects of shuttering Radio Free Asia one year later with Gulchehra Hoja

The effects of shuttering Radio Free Asia one year later with Gulchehra Hoja

Author: Amanda Stephens, Hanna Bilinski,Rti July 13, 2026 Duration: 0:00
This week, we'll be discussing China’s newly implemented Ethnic Unity Law, and what that may mean for both members of China's ethnic minorities currently living in China, those living abroad in exile, and journalists covering China and its human rights abuses abroad. We'll also be taking a look at the effects of the Trump administration's defunding and essentially shuttering of Voice of America and Radio Free Asia over a year after its drastic cuts to international programs. Joining us on the program is an expert in all of those areas, Gulchehra Hoja. She shares with us her experience growing up in East Turkestan, or as China calls it "Xinjiang Province," how she went from a host working for CHinese state media to a reporter for Radio Free Asia, the kind of work that she was able to do in that position, and the devastating and tragic effects the current Trump administration cuts have had. She also gives us her take on the chilling effect China's new legislation is likely to have at home and abroad. Read along with us: China's new law: 1. China's new 'ethnic unity' law raises legal risk concerns in Taiwan (Wen Kuei-hsiang, Sophia Yeh, Chen Kai-yu and Sunny Lai , Focus Taiwan), 2. Is China’s new ethnic unity law a step towards forced assimilation? (Einar Tangen, Zumretay Arkin, William Yang, and Mohammed Jamjoom, Al Jazeera’s “Inside Story” podcast) Hoja's past reporting: 1. Internment Camps in Xinjiang’s Aksu Separated by Crematorium Targeting Uyghur Families, Women & Children , 2. Uyghur refugees face deportation from Kazakhstan, 3. For Uyghur family, a legacy of rootlessness, 4. “Ethnic integration policy” and Uyghur assimilation Forced Labor Investigations Hoja's book: A Stone is Most Precious Where It Belongs: A Memoir of Uyghur Exile, Hope, and Survival (Gulchehra Hoja)

Every week, writers Hanna Bilinski and Amanda Stephens find themselves stuck in the same cycle: falling down a rabbit hole of alarming headlines and relentless updates. The Doomscroll News Report is their attempt to climb back out and make sense of it all. Instead of just recapping the major international stories that flooded their feeds, they pause to place each event within a broader context, asking what it really means for the global conversation. This isn't a straight news broadcast; it's a dialogue between two curious observers who bring on knowledgeable guests to deepen the discussion. By weaving together expert insight with their own perspectives as individuals striving to stay informed, they create a space for understanding that goes beyond the reactive nature of the daily news cycle. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a necessary conversation that seeks clarity and connection amidst the noise, offering a thoughtful alternative to the endless scroll.
Author: Language: en_us Episodes: 50

The Doomscroll News Report
Podcast Episodes
Starbucks gets a history lesson, and the UK will get a new PM [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
This week, in Hanna's absence, Amanda discusses current events with fellow Rti-hosts who may have a stake in the global turmoil. First, Michelle Chiang joins to discuss why Starbucks South Korea got a state-mandated hist…
World-record heat, FIFA problems, and the Enhanced Games disappoints [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Hosts Hanna and Amanda tackle the heatwaves that struck near the end of May, why that may be one of MANY problems for the very-quickly-upcoming FIFA games, and what even happened with the so-called "Enhanced Games." Read…
Trump Xi Summit, Ebola Virus, and good news actually? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna discuss the ripple effects of the Trump-Xi summit, the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, and media reforms in Hungary after Orban's depature and why they may actually give us... hope…
Boats (Hormuz), boats (hantavirus), and billionaires [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
This week, Amanda and Hanna talk about what it really means that the Strait is Blocked up (spoiler: very expensive groceries), how scary is hantavisrus really? And the MET Gala’s fun new billionaire funder. We're talking…
Mass trials, technofascist manifestos, and salmon on cocaine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna tackle the mass trial for MS-13 members in El Salvador, Palantir’s sicko manifesto, and why the salmon are on cocaine. Read along with us! Mass trials: 1. Mass trial for 486 alleged MS-1…