Musk and DOGE have another perfect target: taxpayer-funded, anti-American media

As an alternative of the large recreation, DOGE leader Elon Musk was targeted on U.S. government-funded media. He backed Trump ally Richard Grenell’s name to close down VOA and Radio Free Europe, replying on X: “Sure, shut them down.” Kari Lake, Trump’s nominee for VOA Director, responded, advocating for holding them open however making them pro-American.  

Lake strongly denied liberal media fears that she would flip VOA into “Trump TV,” clarifying that even President Donald Trump desires it to current a good and correct portrayal of America — the true Voice of America. To additional shake up the U.S. Company for World Media (USAGM), Trump additionally nominated a fierce conservative media watchdog and Media Analysis Middle President Brent Bozell to guide the USAGM, the guardian company of the Voice of America and different taxpayer-funded worldwide broadcasters.  

With an annual price range of almost $1 billion, USAGM has rightfully caught Musk’s consideration. Regardless of then-President Joe Biden’s $950 million price range proposal for these media retailers in 2025, most People stay unaware of VOA’s function. Exterior the U.S., nonetheless, VOA is a widely known worldwide broadcaster, reaching a weekly viewers of 354 million folks in 49 languages.  

DOGE ‘PLAYBOOK’ UNVEILED BY GOP SENATOR AS MUSK-LED AGENCY SHAKES UP FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Its attain is so intensive that it makes America’s largest home radio and TV networks “appear like small fry,” in keeping with The Guardian. The true concern is that VOA typically spreads anti-American narratives as a substitute of selling U.S. values. The left fears shedding a well-funded, poorly monitored and extremely influential instruments for criticizing American values globally. 

Based in 1942 throughout World Conflict II, Voice of America aimed to speak U.S. insurance policies and counter enemy propaganda. Joined by Radio Free Europe in 1950 and 4 different federally owned retailers, they performed a key function in shaping international perceptions by way of WWII, the Korean Conflict and the Chilly Conflict, till the Soviet Union’s collapse.  

Nevertheless, on April 30, 1994, President Invoice Clinton signed the Worldwide Broadcasting Act, establishing the Worldwide Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to supervise non-military worldwide broadcasting.  

Since then, considerations have risen about some packages favoring adversarial regimes like Iran, China, Russia and Cuba. In Could 2020, Trump State Division’s Iran envoy, Brian Hook, criticized VOA in a New York Put up article titled “Why Are U.S. Taxpayers Funding a ‘Voice of the Mullahs’ in Iran?” accusing it of selling hostile regime narratives over American pursuits. 

The marketing campaign to reform VOA started in 2006, led by then-Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn. Coburn invited to testify about how U.S. taxpayer-funded broadcasts to Iran have been undermining U.S. coverage and proving ineffective.   

In a letter to then-President George W. Bush, Coburn credited me because the initiator of efforts to reform VOA and Radio Farda, arguing that these media retailers “may very well be harming American pursuits slightly than serving to.” A report commissioned by the State Division and Nationwide Safety Council mirrored my testimony, regardless of resistance from VOA insiders. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

I grew to become concerned on this concern shortly after escaping Evin Jail and fleeing Iran with the assistance of Bush’s administration. Having endured over 5 years of torture, I used to be acknowledged by Amnesty Worldwide as the primary identified sufferer of “white torture” in Iran. Earlier than leaving Iran, I briefly watched VOA, shocked by their respect for the Islamic regime and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), downplaying brutality whereas selling inner reform. In my testimony, I urged VOA to cease deceptive Iranians with so-called balanced reporting. 

Beneath President Barack Obama, Coburn continued his marketing campaign to reform VOA, leveraging his sturdy relationship with the president. He efficiently helped appoint eight new BBG members — equally break up between Republicans and Democrats.  

One other potential goal for cuts is the U.S. Company for World Media. Along with Voice of America, the USAGM is made up of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Workplace of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia, Center East Broadcasting Networks, and the Open Know-how Fund. (Photograph by J. David Ake/Getty Photographs)

On April 6, 2011, I testified once more earlier than a subcommittee of the Home Overseas Affairs Committee titled: “Is America’s Abroad Broadcasting Undermining our Nationwide Curiosity and the Struggle In opposition to Tyrannical Regimes?”, alongside BBG governors and John Lenczowski, the founding father of The Institute of World Politics, the place I used to be a analysis fellow and visiting lecturer.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Regardless of preliminary hopes that new management at BBG and VOA would resolve the problems, corruption continued. Coburn’s sickness prevented him from finishing his efforts, and after the resignation of the VOA Persian service director and a few BBG members, VOA returned to its normal anti-American bias. 

USAGM has 4,000 staff and 1,500 stringers, together with over 2,000 at VOA, a lot of whom are bureaucrats shielded by union protections. The simplest method to bypass these obstacles is to close down these corrupt providers. Dissolving VOA and Radio Farda would take away taxpayer-funded platforms for far-left activists pushing anti-American, anti-Israel, and pro-China, pro-Russia, and pro-Iranian Mullah agendas. These providers might then be rebuilt with a leaner, devoted group of pro-American journalists, making certain VOA really represents America — a key step in Trump’s technique to counter adversaries with out army intervention. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM AMIR FAKHRAVAR