Some Voice of America journalists charged in a lawsuit Monday that the Trump administration — while largely shutting down the government-run outlet that reported news around the world — turned what remained into a voice for propaganda.
The lawsuit alleges that Voice of America’s broadcasts to populations in Iran, China, North Korea and Kurdish populations are not being operated as objective news sources, as required by law. Instead, they parrot White House talking points and suppress news that the administration wants to downplay, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Washington.
In response, the US Agency for Global Media, which runs Voice of America, said that taxpayer dollars should support broadcasts that reflect US policy and the interests of the American people.
The latest dispute reflects differing views between journalists and President Donald Trump’s administration, which has promoted a friendly media that rarely offers more than courteous questions. Most notable In the Pentagon.
A federal judge last week Hundreds ordered Voice of America journalists who were placed on paid leave over the past year have been reinstated, saying Trump’s pick to run USAGM, Carrie Lake, exceeded her authority. Management is Appeal that ruling.
Voice of America, which has been broadcasting around the world since World War II, is designed to highlight freedom of the press in countries where no such tradition exists. But instead of working that way, VOA journalists Barry Newhouse, Ayesha Tanzeem, Dong-Hyuk Lee, and Ksenia Turkova say Trump loyalists have been hired to direct what is reported in VOA’s few remaining broadcasts.
For example, the Iran War coverage sent to that country did not include any news about the death toll from U.S. airstrikes or the views of political and world leaders outside the administration, while the Iran War coverage sent to that country did not include any news about the death toll from U.S. airstrikes or the views of political and world leaders outside the administration. Primary school bombing “It was barely mentioned,” the lawsuit said. She added that the Lake-appointed official supervising the Persian, Kurdish and Afghan services said that all guest appearances on radio shows must be done with his approval.
“Through Voice of America’s journalism, those living in authoritarian societies get a taste of democracy,” prosecutors said in a statement. “Without editorial integrity, Voice of America would be no different from the government mouthpieces our audiences already hear at home.”
The administration wondered whether taxpayers should foot the bill for conveying opinions that conflict with American interests. The lake, in Congressional testimony Last year, I proposed removing the traditional firewall between the government and journalists at agencies such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. “We should be able to control the type of content that is posted,” she said. “This must be consistent with our foreign policy.”
The Global Media Agency “is responsible for overseeing its networks, including the Voice of America, and ensuring compliance with the Voice of America Charter, which requires reliable and accurate journalism that clearly reflects and presents American policies,” the agency said in a statement on Monday.
The VOA journalists were supported in their lawsuit filed Monday by PEN America and Reporters Without Borders.
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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him on http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.