Editorial Board Trump appointee launches assault on Voice of America, affiliates

[riversedge]

Maddow gave an excellent segment on this issue--and she was livid!! tonight





Trump appointee launches assault on Voice of America, affiliates


Fears rise that this respected source for news around the world will become the next Trump News Network.


https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/19/opinion/trump-appointee-launches-assault-voice-america-affiliates/

By The Editorial Board Updated June 19, 2020, 4:34 p.m.


The bodies continue to pile up at the nation’s government-funded but editorially independent news services, raising fears that they will soon become a propaganda arm of the Trump administration.

If that happens, the loss of credibility to a 78-year-old effort to bring straight news to people around the world where it is often in short supply, will be immeasurable.

The respected Voice of America and its affiliates, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, are all part of the US Agency for Global Media, which this month came under the leadership of Trump appointee Michael Pack. Pack is a conservative filmmaker and ally of former Trump strategist Steve Bannon with whom he has done several film projects.



The global news service, which operates in 47 languages and employs more than 1,100 journalists, was founded in 1942 to tell “America’s story,” but to do it free of government interference, to always observe the “firewall” that separates news from propaganda — a firewall that is at the heart of independent journalism.


Senate Democrats skeptical about Pack’s commitment to that mission — and concerned about a still-pending investigation of his business dealings by the attorney general of the District of Columbia, managed to hold up his confirmation for nearly two years. This April, however, the White House turned up the heat, berating the Voice of America for being pro-China in its coverage of the coronavirus outbreak there. President Trump personally entered the fray May 15 saying, “Voice of America is run in a terrible manner. They’re not the Voice of America. They’re the opposite of the Voice of America.” Senate Republicans got the message and pushed through Pack’s confirmation.


By Monday VOA Director Amanda Bennett and Deputy Director Sandy Sugawara had resigned, telling staffers that Pack “has the right to replace us with his own VOA leadership.” Bennett is a former editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.................

[Newest Reality]

1. I guess...

I guess XiUnTrumputin is out to destroy anything and everything he can, take over what's left and push his Fascist regime into high gear before the General Election.

I hope that people are not taking this lightly. It's not just politics and partisan dynamics, this is the culmination of a slow-mo coup and the the time is getting short, so anything is fair game now. Desperation is a loser's inspiration to go for your throat like a cornered rat. The rat is in the White House and we are in big trouble.

It's coming from all directions.

[heckles65]

2. One of the BEST WEAPONS of the United States during the Cold War

and this Administration is out to break it. Unbelievable. Putin is laughing his socks off.

[RussBLib]

3. this should be easily rectified

when Biden gets into office. Remove all those patsies and install accomplished people. Again.

[Eugene]

4. That still gives them 6 months to rip out yet another pillar of America's credibility.

If the Trumpers use VOA, RFE/RL, etc. to pump out propaganda, it may take years to repair the damage to their reputations.