Voice of America journalists allege Trump wants to make outlet a propaganda source
Willis Conover (left), an American jazz producer and broadcaster on the Voice of America for more than 40 years, interviews famed musician Louis Armstrong in 1955.
The Associated Press
Some journalists at Voice of America charged in a lawsuit Monday that the Trump administration — while largely shutting down the government-run outlet that provides news around the world — has turned what remains into a voice for propaganda.
The lawsuit alleges that VOA transmissions to populations in Iran, China, North Korea and to Kurdish populations are not being run as objective news sources, as required by law. Instead, they parrot White House talking points and suppress news that the administration wishes to downplay, according to the lawsuit, filed Monday with the U.S. District Court in Washington.
In response, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which runs the Voice of America, said that taxpayer money must support broadcasting that reflects U.S. policy and the interests of the American people.
The latest dispute reflects differing views between journalists and President Donald Trump’s administration, which has promoted friendly outlets that rarely offer more than gentle questioning — most notably at the Pentagon.
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