This is my fear. When Pack reached out to the directors on Wednesday, essentially his first day on the job, he provided no reason for the firings. After friction with the Nixon administration about what VOA was allowed to broadcast about Watergate, a charter was drawn up in 1976 intended to guarantee it remained “accurate, objective and comprehensive”.Previous administrations have expressed frustration with VOA over its editorial independence when unable to dictate what it broadcasts, but never with the same gusto as Trump.“If you hear what’s coming out of the Voice of America, it’s disgusting,” the president said in April.
Michael Pack founded Manifold Productions, Inc., an independent film production company, in 1977. FILE - USAGM CEO nominee Michael Pack at his confirmation hearing, Sept. 19, 2019. His major credits include Pack has previous experience with U.S. broadcasting, having served as director of WORLDNET, the global satellite network of the U.S. Information Agency that became the TV unit of Voice of America. "Pack uses deep state language. Michael Pack is a man on a mission. According to a congressional aide, he had his future office swept for recording devices.Brett Bruen, a former US diplomat who was director for global engagement in the Obama White House, said: “The steps that have already been taken since Pack was confirmed are deeply troubling.
Four news division heads were removed from the U.S. Agency for Global Media, an independent federal agency that's home to Voice of America, among other networks. Isaias expected to make landfall as a hurricane in the CarolinasMLB postpones another series as more players test positiveSome mystery seeds illegally sent from China identifiedWhite House, Democrats continue talks on virus bill amid impasseMicrosoft trying to buy TikTok's U.S. arm after talking with TrumpBattleground Tracker: Latest polls, state of the race and more5 things to know about CBS News' 2020 Battleground TrackerBiden has edge in North Carolina, race is tight in Georgia — CBS News pollWhy some mail-in ballots are rejected and how to make sure your vote countsWhat happens if the president doesn't accept the election results?Election Day could turn into "Election Week" with rise in mail ballots A co-worker of the now dismissed head of Radio Liberty, Jamie Fly, described how dedicated the executive had been in defending his reporters who often faced intimidation and threats while reporting on Russia. The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the global media agency that oversees the Voice of America. Replacements have yet to be named.Steve Capus, the former CBS and NBC News executive who had been serving as a senior advisor, was also dismissed. The news agency is federally funded but operates independently, yet the White House has accused the outlet of promoting Chinese government propaganda in its In a private lunch with Senate Republicans earlier this week, Trump derisively called Voice of America the “voice of the Soviet Union” and “communists,” according to two people familiar with his remarks. And what does this say to the American people?”The nomination now goes to the full Senate for consideration.The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning.The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Moreover, the video was branded with VOA logos throughout and at the end of the two minute ad. The agency oversees Voice of America and other government-funded news outlets.Committee Chairman James E. Risch (R-Idaho) said he would have delayed the vote on Pack’s nomination if he had been asked to do so by the Justice Department because of any investigation.“This is a particularly partisan matter,” Risch said. “Is this really the person you want running a U.S. government agency with a budget of almost a billion dollars? Earlier this week, the top director and deputy director at Voice of America resigned as did the head of the Open Technology Fund Libby Liu, which promotes global internet freedoms. Voice of America is the flagship of American government efforts to broadcast its values abroad.