The Voice of America, traditionally, an independent news broadcaster known for its neutrality, is on its way to becoming a propaganda machine for the Trump Administration.
Using the excuse that hiring foreign nationals takes away jobs from Americans, the new chief of the agency ordered the broadcaster not to renew visas for those experts in other languages and cultures who come from other nations.
This means these experts will have to return to their home countries, perhaps to retaliation and repercussions from governments hostile to the U.S.
Last month, we wrote as the shakeup started that top leadership at the Voice of America and senior journalists were replaced by avid Trump supporters, and we warned that the previously independent and reliable broadcaster will become a propaganda arm for conservative political followers of the current president.
The new leader, Michael Pack, showed up for work in mid-June and immediately fired the chiefs of four -- count 'em, four -- broadcast networks supervised by the U.S. Agency for Global Media. They included Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Radio Free Asia; Office of Cuban Broadcasting, and Middle East Broadcasting Networks. Earlier, two top officials at Voice of America resigned in anticipation of Pack's arrival.
Pack also dissolved advisory boards for each of the networks and placed his own aides above them, according to a report by NPR. Pack gave no reason for his actions, NPR noted, other than saying that he could.
The latest move, to deny visas to those who could supply reliable texts to the various broadcasters, means they would likely be replaced by Trump devotees, to be hired by the newly named presidential adherents.
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