Fewer but better journalists
Now Trump is kneecapping Voice of America.
VOA was established in 1942, during World War II. Building on American use of shortwave radio during the war, it initially served as an anti-propaganda tool against Axis misinformation but expanded to include other forms of content like American music programs for cultural diplomacy. During the Cold War, its operations expanded in an effort to fight communism and played a role in the decline of communism in several countries. Throughout its operations, it has aimed to broadcast uncensored information to residents under restrictive regimes, even airing behind the Iron Curtain.
Ah; that will be the problem then. Trump doesn’t want anybody messing with his restrictive regime.
The Trump administration has moved to lay off more than 500 employees who work for the federally funded network Voice of America, which provides global reporting in places with restricted press freedom.
In March, Trump officials first attempted to close down some of the organization’s newsrooms. But Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia called for the network’s restoration last April, citing a law that requires the Voice of America broadcast to be continued.
Despite the ruling, Kari Lake, the acting chief executive of Voice of America’s oversight agency, posted on social media on Friday evening that 532 government positions were eliminated.
Nobody cares what some judge says; this is Trump’s dictatorship.
Before the downsizing, Voice of America was responsible for broadcasting news in 49 languages to 360 million people every week, including in Russia and China. Now, the network airs programming in four languages: Persian, Mandarin, Dari and Pashto.
The layoffs “will likely improve [the agency’s] ability to function and provide the truth to people across the world who live under murderous Communist governments and other tyrannical regimes,” wrote Lake on X.
Most of the 1,300 Voice of America journalists had already been fired or remained on paid leave prior to these layoffs. Only 100 journalists and other staff members remain employed by the organization.
How exactly will that improve the agency’s ability to function and provide the truth to people across the world?
Why would they possibly need so many journalists, when the only truth is what is posted on Trump’s social media? One person to read the social media, one person to type it up, and one person to read it on the air. I’m surprised they’ve kept 100.
Like all people within Trump’s fold, truth is not even a consideration for Kari Lake. If she says a thing, it is because the thing is convenient to her in that moment; if it happens to be true, consider it a pure fluke. I wonder if they are even conscious of the concept. The only consideration is the same for her as for Trump: does this claim help me right now?
But of course they want the audience to think it’s true.