Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday defended a controversial change at Voice of America and other US-funded broadcasters, praising a new CEO who was reprimanded by judges and accused by lawmakers of trampling journalistic independence.
In a speech to the VOA team broadcast live over the network, Pompeo said the network had lost touch with its original mission to tell America’s story to a foreign audience and instead denigrated the United States.
“His broadcasts became less about telling the truth about America, and often about demeaning America,” said Pompeo, without giving examples.
“Voice of America has lost its voice, but it is coming back,” he said.
Michael Pack, the CEO appointed by President Donald Trump last year to head VOA’s parent agency, the United States Agency for Global Media, faced strong criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the corridor for his radical moves in the organization, with freedom press groups warning that he was putting the broadcasters’ editorial independence at risk.
But the secretary of state expressed gratitude to Pack, a conservative filmmaker who has collaborated with former Trump political adviser Stephen Bannon.
“Michael, thank you for your leadership in these incredibly important institutions,” said Pompeo.
Members of Congress and current and former employees of VOA and other US-funded broadcasters, including Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, say Pack launched investigations of journalists and sought to turn the vehicles into an advertising vehicle for Trump.
A federal judge ruled against Pack in November, effectively forbidding him from making personal decisions in the media or interfering with editorial operations. In October, a Superior Court judge in Washington DC ruled that the Pack had no authority to remove the management of a US-funded non-profit organization, the Open Technology Fund, which develops anti-censorship software and applications used by society groups. civil society and journalists in repressive countries.
After taking office in June, Pack fired all the heads of the four media outlets under his agency, as well as members of the bipartisan councils that governed them. Pack replaced the councils primarily with political nominees from the Trump administration and named himself president. He relocated a standards editor to VOA and fired the executive editor of Radio Free Asia.
Pompeo’s speech marked his last defense of President Trump’s mandate, portraying the reform of the United States Agency for Global Media as long-awaited.
While other cabinet members and senior officials have clashed with President Trump in the past four years, and a number of key figures have resigned in recent days and accused the president of inciting followers to invade the Capitol last Wednesday, Pompeo remained loyal to Trump.
“The Trump administration is not trying to politicize these institutions. We are trying to end politics, ”said Pompeo. “This is a very good story for anyone who wants to write it.”
Calling VOA “the tip of the spear of freedom,” Pompeo said the broadcaster should note America’s shortcomings, but not exaggerate them.
“It is not false news for you to disclose that this is the largest nation the world has ever known,” said Pompeo.
“I’m not saying to ignore our shortcomings. Acknowledge them. But this is not Vice of America, focusing on everything that is wrong with our great nation. “
He added: “Your mission is to promote democracy, freedom and American values in the world.”
Days before Pompeo’s speech at VOA’s Washington DC headquarters, a formal complaint was filed by a group of employees, who said the live broadcast was an advertising exercise and put the health of employees who attended and worked at the site at risk. event in a closed auditorium amid the coronavirus pandemic. External media did not have access to the event, as officials cited public health concerns regarding COVID-19.
“You cannot use the public health risks of the COVID-19 pandemic for outside reporters as an excuse to exclude them and then ‘invite’ your employees to attend,” said the employees’ complaint.
The letter was sent to Pack, the legislators of the House and Senate foreign affairs committees, the Office of the Inspector General of the State Department and the Office of the Special Council, a federal oversight body.
“A speech delivered by the outgoing Secretary of State on topics on which he was widely covered should be seen for what it is: the use of VOA to disseminate political propaganda in the last days of the Trump administration,” said the letter.
Pompeo rejected the criticism, saying it represented an attempt to censor the speech and went against the station’s mission.
“They didn’t want the voice of American diplomacy to be broadcast. . . the Voice of America. Think about it, ”said Pompeo.
The former Kansas congressman compared the complaint to recent actions by social media and technology companies to stop President Trump after the violent attack on the Capitol last week. The companies said Trump’s posts could incite even more violence.
Pompeo portrayed the movements as part of a leftist “awakening” policy that he suggested was an effort to silence critics.
“We are not like that, Americans. It is not what Voice of America should be. It’s time to put the woke-ism to sleep, “he said.
Abigail Williams contributed.