If the U.S. government funds RFE/RL, how can it be independent and unbiased? 

An essential guarantee of RFE/RL’s journalistic credibility is the “firewall” enshrined in the enabling legislation of the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the U.S. International Broadcasting Act. The firewall prohibits interference by U.S. government officials, including USAGM’s Chief Executive Officer, in the objective, independent reporting of news by RFE/RL, thereby safeguarding the ability of our journalists to develop content that reflects the highest professional standards of journalism. The firewall is critical to ensure that USAGM journalists and editors can make the final decisions on what stories to cover, and how they are covered. The results of this policy are clear — our audiences trust us.