U.S. government-funded media outlet VOA and USAGM networks set to receive news content from One America News (OAN)
In a surprising turn of events, Kari Lake, Senior Advisor to the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), has announced that One America News Network (OAN) will be providing "newsfeed services" to various USAGM networks, including the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), Radio Marti, and Voice of America (VOA).
This decision, met with immediate controversy, comes after weeks of attempts by the Trump administration to dismantle USAGM. President Donald Trump issued an executive order to minimize the agency's functions, resulting in over 1,000 employees being put on leave and 600 contracts being terminated. However, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth issued a preliminary injunction in April, blocking these changes.
The decision to collaborate with OAN could significantly expand the reach of OAN's content, given that the cable network has been embroiled in several high-profile libel lawsuits and has been dropped by major pay TV providers like DirecTV and Verizon in 2022.
However, the agreement has sparked concerns among VOA staffers. Steve Herman, chief national correspondent for VOA, expressed his concerns by stating, "USAGM cannot dictate that VOA run OAN content. It would be a violation of our firewall and our charter, which are laws."
Kari Lake admitted in a social media post that she doesn't have editorial control over the content of VOA and OCB programming but can ensure that they have reliable and credible options.
It's important to note that OAN has faced numerous controversies, including the dissemination of misinformation, political bias, and censorship issues. OAN's promotion of conspiracy theories led to legal challenges, including defamation lawsuits from Dominion Voting Systems, Smartmatic, and a Dominion executive. Although OAN settled the cases brought forward by Smartmatic and the Dominion executive, the suit against Dominion is still ongoing.
To gain perspective on the situation, it's crucial to recognize the context and the background of both Kari Lake and OAN. Lake is an American politician and former television news anchor who has been associated with conservative and controversial political stances. OAN is a conservative American cable news channel infamous for its pro-Trump and controversial viewpoints. Their content has often been criticized for spreading misinformation and propaganda.
In reaction to this news, public perception and media commentary will likely focus on the need for reliable and unbiased news sources, especially in a political climate that has grown increasingly divisive. The public's reaction to OAN and figures like Kari Lake will undoubtedly reflect broader political divisions.
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- The collaboration between One America News Network (OAN) and the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) may extend OAN's broadcast spectrum, as it comes on the heels of OAN being dropped by major pay TV providers like DirecTV and Verizon in 2022.
- Despite Kari Lake, Senior Advisor to USAGM, stating she does not have editorial control over the content of VOA and OCB programming, concerns have been raised among VOA staffers such as Steve Herman, chief national correspondent for VOA, who believes the agreement could violate the firewall and charter of VOA, which are laws.
- As OAN has faced numerous controversies, including the dissemination of misinformation, political bias, and censorship issues, the agreement has sparked discussions about the importance of restoring faith in general news and ensuring unbiased sources in a climate that has grown increasingly polarized.
- Given Kari Lake's conservative political stances and OAN's pro-Trump and controversial viewpoints, this decision may face scrutiny under the purview of policy-and-legislation and politics, particularly in light of the ongoing defamation lawsuit against OAN by Dominion Voting Systems.
- In light of this event, the broadcast of OAN content on networks like Voice of America (VOA) and Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) raises questions about the future of media content policy and the growing role of IP in shaping the landscape of content dissemination across various platforms.
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