This is very grim. I hope that this story gets a lot of media attention, because this is a gigantic step into the darkness of Trump-generated conspiracy theory and right wing nuttiness and away from credible independent journalism. Trump has achieved a minor coup at the taxpayer-funded agency that supervises the Voice of America. Huffington Post is reporting
Michael Pack, a conservative filmmaker and friend of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, is taking over as head of the Agency for Global Media after the Senate finally succumbed to White House pressure to confirm him.
The Voice of America’s top two editors ― both veteran journalists appointed during the Obama administration ― resigned on Monday, citing Pack’s arrival.
“As the Senate-confirmed CEO, he has the right to replace us with his own VOA leadership,” VOA director Amanda Bennett and deputy Sandy Sugawara wrote to staff on Monday.
The turmoil follows a major confrontation involving the blacklisting of the VOA by a public relations manager at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under pressure from the White House. The Trump administration accused the VOA of pushing Chinese “propaganda” about the coronavirus pandemic in a bizarre statement that claimed that “much of the U.S. media takes its lead from China.”
This is pure Trump inspired madness. And it gets worse. Sebastian Gorka is now slated to come on board as well. Amanda Bennett, the former VOA director, is a Pulitizer Prize winning investigative journalist. Pack and Gorka are both on the right-wing conspiracy theory end of the scale, by contrast. Voice of America journalists legitimately fear that Pack and Gorka “will interfere with the organization’s independent newsroom and turn it into a pro-Trump messaging machine,” in the words of CNN Business.
Monday’s resignations renewed concerns that Pack, an ally of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, will attempt to clean house at VOA, which is part of the US Agency for Global Media, USAGM for short.–A well-placed VOA employee said there are internal discussions about a sizable shakeup coming to the agency that may include former White House official and conservative radio host Sebastian Gorka taking on a leadership position. Given Gorka’s partisan background, such an appointment would send a major message about VOA shifting to become a mouthpiece for the administration.
Whoa. They’re still trying. If the media can cover this (great catch!) the world will know. They already know that 45, Gorka, Bannon are all whack jobs. Show that they are now VOA and they’ll ignore or confront. Send the info to Rachel Maddow?
Joe has so much work to do.
Nah. One EO, “All acts of Trump are hereby repealed instantly.”
Then start on Mitchstakes.
I read about this in my local paper and the byline was the Washington Post. I hope that gives it some national exposure.
Yet more pink slips to hand out in a few months.
And jail terms.
Dear God, what next? Will Barr declare that idiot traffic cone can turn the White House into a condo development and sell time shares? Enlist the Armed Forces to sweep the greens at all those tacky golf clubs? Seriously, at this point it’s appallingly obvious anything and everything’s on the table.
And right you are to be upset. This is potentially a nightmare for what is left of our image around the world. The VOA worked tirelessly all during the Cold War to keep those behind the Iron Curtain informed about our democracy by using the best America had to offer, including a ton of jazz. Which BTW was regarded by the Soviets as decadent American music that would corrupt their people.
With these yahoos in charge, crikey, just imagine by November how much more harm they can do to our relationships with both allies and those not so favorably disposed to us. As if the orange nightmare hasn’t done enough to sully our reputation, now this?
The Voice of America is a classy outfit, like PBS. It has credibility. I would so hate to see it go into the toilet. My God, are we going to be able to get out of the Trump era with anything?
It will be years, if not decades before the u.s. is taken seriously in the world. Even if we elect the greatest president ever, they know we could flip back to another semi-retarded game show host again at any time.