Voice of America Terminates Contracts with AP, Reuters, and AFP
Under Kari Lake’s leadership, the Voice of America ceases contracts with prominent wire services, a strategy she claims will save taxpayers $53 million.
The Voice of America (VOA), now guided by new leadership appointed by former President Donald Trump, is ending agreements with The Associated Press (AP), Reuters, and Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Kari Lake, a Republican and former news anchor, shared this decision on social media on Thursday, referring to the contracts as “costly and unnecessary.” Lake serves as the senior adviser for the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which supervises VOA.
She anticipates that this action will generate savings of approximately $53 million. Lake emphasized that VOA ought to create its own news content instead of depending on outside news organizations.
Typically, news organizations utilize wire services to enhance coverage, particularly in regions lacking their own reporters.
In a subsequent online post, Lake mentioned that she is closely scrutinizing agency expenditures, revealing she has found “a lot of nonsense that the American taxpayer should not be financing.”
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This action is one of Lake’s initial significant steps since her appointment to USAGM, which also oversees various broadcasters like Radio Free Europe. Her appointment indicates a shift in the operational dynamics of VOA, prioritizing in-house news production and budget reductions.
Lake’s selection by Trump has attracted attention due to her vocal criticism of traditional media. She characterizes herself on her X profile as “A Nightmare for the Fake News.” Before this role, Lake previously ran for political office, aiming for the U.S. Senate in 2024 and the governor’s seat in Arizona in 2022.
“The six entities that comprise the USAGM complement and reinforce one another in a shared mission vital to U.S. national interests: to inform, engage and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy,” the agency’s overview explains. “Together, USAGM entities communicate each week with 427 million people across the globe.”
Historically, VOA has offered international news from an American viewpoint and has traditionally partnered with news agencies to guarantee comprehensive and precise coverage.
It remains uncertain how VOA plans to fill the gap left by the termination of services from AP, Reuters, and AFP.
By the time of publication, there was no response from AP, Reuters, or AFP regarding requests for comments from The Epoch Times.
