The New York Times reports:

President-elect Donald J. Trump on Wednesday night chose Kari Lake to lead Voice of America, aiming to put a fierce loyalist who has called journalists “monsters” in charge of a federally funded news outlet that reaches hundreds of millions of people around the globe.

Mr. Trump was accused of using his appointees to try to turn Voice of America, whose aim is to offer unbiased news to audiences around the world, into a pro-Trump propaganda outlet during his first term. In his announcement of Ms. Lake, a local TV news anchor turned election denier who lost races for Senate and governor in Arizona, Mr. Trump hinted that he believed he had found an ally to try to reshape its coverage.

Ms. Lake will “ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media,” Mr. Trump said in a social media post.

In 2022, Ms. Lake’s campaign for governor often leaned more on her vitriol toward news outlets and reporters than on her criticisms of the Democratic Party and her opponent, Katie Hobbs, now the governor of Arizona. Her attacks on the press mirrored those of Mr. Trump. Referring to journalists as “monsters,” she pledged to be reporters’ “worst nightmare” if elected.

“Let’s defund the press,” she said during one of her rallies.

She is set to sit atop an organization with a nearly $300 million budget and more than 2,000 employees, broadcasting in nearly 50 languages to a weekly audience of more than 326 million people. [Continue reading…]

The Voice of America and its parent agency served as a flashpoint at end of Trump WH 1.0. Judges and inspectors general reports found the WH and his appointee acted illegally.

Not clear Trump can unilaterally make such appt

ibab.gov/about-us/

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— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik.bsky.social) December 11, 2024 at 10:34 PM

VOA “Who We Are, What We Do”:

VOA Firewall
An essential guarantee of the journalistic credibility of Voice of America content is the “firewall” enshrined in the 1994 U.S. International Broadcasting Act. The firewall prohibits interference by any U.S. government official in the objective, independent reporting of news, thereby safeguarding the ability of our journalists to develop content that reflects the highest professional standards of journalism, free of political interference. USAGM reforms contained in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017 maintained the longstanding statutory firewall language protecting the professional independence of VOA and all other USAGM journalists. The firewall ensures that VOA can make the final decisions on what stories to cover, and how they are covered.

VOA Charter
The Charter was signed into law by President Gerald R. Ford on July 12, 1976. The Charter protects the editorial independence and integrity of VOA programming.

The long-range interests of the United States are served by communicating directly with the peoples of the world by radio. To be effective, the Voice of America must win the attention and respect of listeners. These principles will therefore govern Voice of America (VOA) broadcasts:

1. VOA will serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news. VOA news will be accurate, objective, and comprehensive.

2. VOA will represent America, not any single segment of American society, and will therefore present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions.

3. VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussions and opinion on these policies.