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Kari Lake previews her plans for Voice of America in the next Administration.
- Thread starter Bill Betten
- Start date
Kari Lake will do what the yet-to-be-appointed head of the USGMA tells her to do. That's what the director did under Michael Pack. And the yet-to-be-appointed head of the USGMA will carry out the goals of the white house. It's really to soon to evaluate what the VOA will do.
From my perspective, it seems a bit presumptuous for CBS News to do such an interview. She's not officially in the role, and she hasn't officially been appointed. It would be like interviewing the operator of the Panama Canal about the changes he would foresee under US control. What was the thinking at CBS News?
I'd like to know how the VOA will handle stories involving the newly elected Senator from Arizona. That's just me.
From my perspective, it seems a bit presumptuous for CBS News to do such an interview. She's not officially in the role, and she hasn't officially been appointed. It would be like interviewing the operator of the Panama Canal about the changes he would foresee under US control. What was the thinking at CBS News?
I'd like to know how the VOA will handle stories involving the newly elected Senator from Arizona. That's just me.
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You do know that VOA generally does not cover domestic political news at all?
Have you ever listened to any VOA news broadcasts, either recently or in years and decades past?
I have and youre right.
In fact, heres a recent newscast:
VOA Eng 9775khz 0258UTC Fri Dec 7, 2024.mp3
drive.google.com
Here's another:
VOA 9775khz Sign On Sat Nov 23, 2024 0257UTC.mp3
drive.google.com
In very general terms, news on the VOA is not about internal politics of the U.S. They focus on the "world scene" (everything from wars and conflicts to international treaties and commerce) and things like education, trade, science.
The logic behind that is that very few people in, let's say Gambia, care about individual politicians or political campaigns in any country other than their own. The same philosophy applied historically to all the shortwave national voices, from Radio Moscow to the Beeb.
But a lot of people who have never listened to the VOA think it is "just like NPR, but on shortwave".
Unfortunately, that's not how former head of USGMA Michael Pack saw it:
Ex-Voice Of America Head Blew $4 Million On Lawyers To Spy On Employees: Report
Trump appointee Michael Pack sought to transform the tax-funded VOA into a propaganda operation, according to a whistleblower complaint.
Consider what might happen if Steve Bannon is named CEO of USGMA,
Isn’t it Kari Lake who agreeing to the interview who’s being presumptuous? There is always an outside chance she won’t be appointed. I wouldn’t blame CBS News for asking any potential nominee to do an interview but I wouldn’t expect anyone to agree to an interview until they are office (or during confirmation hearings if it’s thought the interview will help them get confirmed).
Then the various USAGM services would lose whatever audience they still have. Bannon might be able to peddle his disinformation and BS to the MAGA crowd in the U.S., but an international audience will have no tolerance for any of that.
Look at the garbage being spewed by private shortwave broadcasters in the U.S. Outside of a tiny number of die-hard SW enthusiasts, religious fanatics and conspiracy nuts, nobody is listening.
I just threw that name out there. He could also nominate Tucker Carlson. Either way, it's a position that requires senate confirmation. It took them two years to confirm Michael Pack, and he was a disaster. It could take a while to get someone confirmed. Until then, Kari Lake is just waiting.
My question is why even ask her?
CBS knows most of their audience doesn’t know she isn’t going to automatically be in charge of it, and they want the ratings that go along with people watching her interview.
VOA does have one opinion piece that often runs during their programs, 'the opinion of the government of the United States' or something similar -- and it's clearly identified as such -- and every time I've heard it, it's about some international issue or event, not domestic US politics.
It has an opinion piece that reflects the position of the Government of the United States, usually those opinions deal with international issues. When Trump was in power last time around, I don't recall the opinion pieces being particularly MAGA.
The last time around is irrelevant. This is a whole new ballgame.
The whole purpose of the VOA is to try and influence foreign populations to embrace attitudes that are friendly towards the policies of the US Government. That's pretty much the purpose every country's officially sanctioned international broadcasting. IMO the returns on this have been diminishing for decades for a whole slew of reasons, and at this point the whole exercise is largely a waste of money. Those who compare VOA to NPR (which is for domestic consumption and ostensibly objective) are really saying something pretty harsh about the content on NPR.
Here's what the VOA says:
Mission, Firewall and Charter
This webpage includes general information about the Voice of America and a one-minute overview video of VOA.
www.insidevoa.com
Don't we have a growing right wing all over the world? Even in Germany?
Maybe they'll play "Panama" by Van Halen for 24 hours straight.
My issue with Lake and others is it's always such double-minded sounding thinking.
She wants unbiased reporting that asks tough questions, but when they do that towards her guy, they are suddenly biased and persecuting him. Can't have it both ways, Kari.
She wants unbiased reporting that asks tough questions, but when they do that towards her guy, they are suddenly biased and persecuting him. Can't have it both ways, Kari.