A USAGM press release on its elimination of non-statuatory work said the agency was “not salvageable” after President Donald Trump signed a late Friday executive order to severely reduce the size of the agency and the organizations it oversees, including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia.
“The U.S. Agency for Global media will continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview and shed everything that is not statutorily required,” said USAGM Senior Adviser Kari Lake.
“From top-to-bottom this agency is a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer — a national security risk for this nation — and irretrievably broken,” the press release said, noting that “$100s-of-millions” were being spent by the agency on “fake news companies.”
The effects of the order were felt immediately. In the content management systems for all of VOA, all folders with video clippings delivered by wire services including Agence France-Presse, Reuters and the Associated Press were gone as of Saturday morning, a person familiar with the matter said, including live recordings like Trump’s recent meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. VOA’s video teams often rely on raw, unedited video from newswires for their news products, which are sent across various bureaus in USAGM’s network for distribution to audiences.
Termination notices for contractors then flowed in over the weekend, according to an email viewed by Nextgov/FCW. Full-time VOA staff were also ..
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