Fears Spread Over US Media Independence as Trump-appointed Chief Fires Editors

By Staff, Agencies

The new chief of the US federal media agency, appointed by US President Donald Trump, sacked three senior officials, raising fears that networks will be politicized.

Michael Pack, a conservative filmmaker and former associate of ex-White House adviser Steve Bannon, has also begun to install Trump loyalists at the agency.

The firings have been criticized by liberals and some conservatives.

Pack has defended his actions as transitional steps that any new leader of an organization would take.

The US Agency for Global Media [USAGM] is a taxpayer funded body that oversees global broadcasters including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting.

The USAGM is tasked with broadcasting independent news to a global audience of more than 280 million people. It was created in 1942 ‘to combat Nazi propaganda.’

The director of Voice of America, Amanda Bennett, and her deputy Sandy Sugawara resigned on Monday after Pack was confirmed by the Senate.

The heads of Radio Free Europe, Asia, Middle East Broadcasting as well as the Open Technology Fund were ousted on Wednesday.

Pack has not offered public details on why these individuals were fired.

Trump has recently criticized Voice of America, calling its reporting "disgusting" and accusing it of spreading "propaganda" in favor of China.

The leaders of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Middle East Broadcasting networks - Jamie Fly and Alberto Fernandez - were both appointed during Trump's presidency.

A number of long-time advisory board members have also been removed, and Pack is now the chairman of these outlets' boards of directors.

Pack has also appointed a number of former Trump administration officials - including from the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Office of Management and Budget - to high level positions in the agency, CNBC reported.

The sackings followed an internal email to staff from Pack, saying he would maintain "the agency's independence".

He later told staff "no actions are to be taken, and no external communications are to be made without explicit approval" from the new leaders.