US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he wants his ally Kari Lake to become the next head of Voice of America, a federal network that is part of the US Agency for Global Media, UNN reports citing NBC News.
Details
Trump said on Truth Social that Lake would be nominated as the next head of the U.S. Global Media Agency, which Trump said he would announce "soon.
Trump said that Lake would "ensure that American values of freedom and independence are broadcast around the world TRUTHFULLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the fake news media.
Representatives of the Voice of America did not immediately respond to questions about the nomination and approval processes for the new director, as well as what Trump's statement might mean for the current director, Michael Abramowitz.
Lake told X that she was "honored" by Trump's statement.
"Under my leadership, VOA will succeed in its mission to chronicle America's achievements around the world," she said. - "Thank you for your confidence, President Trump. I look forward to leading VOA, and I can't wait to get started.
At the same time, as the publication notes, the stated mission of the Voice of America is not to popularize America's achievements; rather, its website states that it "strives to provide comprehensive news coverage and tell the truth to the public.
"Voice of America is also noted to emphasize a "firewall" that, according to its website, "prohibits interference by any U.S. government official with objective, independent news coverage, thereby protecting the ability of our journalists to produce content that reflects the highest professional standards of journalism, free from political interference.
Lake worked for more than 20 years as a news anchor in Arizona at KSAZ, a Phoenix Fox affiliate. After she left the news industry, she ran in unsuccessful elections for both Senate and governor in Arizona.
During the campaign, Lake positioned herself as a loyal ally of Trump and a fierce critic of the industry she once belonged to. She mocked journalists, calling them "fake news," claiming at the Republican National Convention that they were "wearing down your hospitality." She tried to discredit reporters by claiming that journalists "have spent the last eight years lying about President Donald Trump" and leaning toward unfounded right-wing claims, the paper said.
Addendum
"Voice of America has a wide international reach, with a global weekly audience of about 354 million people and it has programs in 49 languages, according to its website.
Earlier, Trump was criticized for his 2020 appointment of Michael Peck as head of the US Agency for Global Media. Peck was accused of undermining the independence of the networks he controlled.