Lake Kali, special advisor to the US Global Media Agency (USAGM), announced on Friday that Voice of America (VOA) will end its contract with the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
VOA, the national media network for international broadcasting, is funded by USAGM along with former President Joe Biden request In March 2024, the 2025 budget increased to further support the radio network. with x post On Friday, Lake announced that USAGM will end its “expensive and unnecessary newswire agreements,” adding that some of the major agreements include “tens of tens of thousands of dollars in contracts” with Associated Press, Reuters and Agency France Press. (Related: Exclusive: GOP officials request taxpayer-funded American voices to “stop carrying left water”))
“USAGM is a news organization funded by American taxpayers with an 83-year history. You shouldn’t pay outside the news company to tell you what news is. You have a $1 billion budget and you have to create your own news,” Lake writes. “If that’s not possible, American taxpayers should require them to know why.”
Arizona Republican US Senate candidate Kari Lake will speak to the media outside the Mesa Convention Center polling station on November 5, 2024 in Mesa, Arizona. Americans today voted in presidential elections between Republican candidate President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, and multiple state elections that will balance Congressional power. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
At a meeting with VOA staff on Friday, the employee reportedly was told to “stop using wire service materials in reports.” According to To Newsmax. In particular, audio, video and text reports are often used to complement coverage from locations where reporters are not present, outlets report.
In an interview with Newsmax before the official contract cut, Lake argued that the agency is finding “a lot of nonsense that American taxpayers shouldn’t pay.”
“Today, I have begun the process of terminating agency contracts with Associated Press, Reuters and Assen France Press, which will save taxpayers about $53 million. Our agency’s purpose is to tell the story of America. There is no need to outsource that responsibility to others.” Lake I wrote it With X posts about the interview.
The dispute between the Associated Press and the White House began in February after corporate media outlets were revoked from press access after they refused to call the Gulf of America under their new name. The AP filed a lawsuit on February 21 against White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich for injunctive relief.
That’s what the lake was like I swear As a special advisor to USAGM on March 3, she says she is “looking forward to” serving America and “rationalizing” its agents. The cuts from the agency follow President Donald Trump’s push for his second administration to review the government’s wasteful spending.
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