Trump moves to put his own stamp on Voice of America

[mobeau69]

Source: Politico

Trump on Monday dispatched two aides to scope out the studios of Voice of America, heightening concerns among some longtime staffers that Trump may quickly put his stamp on the broadcasting arm that has long pushed U.S. democratic ideals across the world.

The arrival of the two aides – both political operatives from Trump’s campaign – comes after Voice of America received blowback over the weekend for sending out a series of tweets about White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s claims about inauguration crowd size that looked to some like an endorsement of his false statements. The news outlet later deleted one of the tweets.

“There’s concern among the journalists about what these guys are going to be doing,” said the senior VOA staffer. “People are hanging tight, seeing what will happen.”

“Irony is that VOA's reason for existing was to provide truth to those who lived where the government controlled the press,” tweeted Stuart Stevens, a former advisor to Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, in response to the tweet.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/donald-trump-voice-america-234078

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“...VOA's reason for existing was to provide truth..."

[elmac]

1. ah, the VOA

such fond memories listening to them on the shortwave radio. Now they will be know as the Voice of Asswipes.

[cstanleytech]

2. Ok who wants to bet that the real plan is to try to use VOA for home propaganda?

After all it really never made much of an impact overseas but the infrastructure for a home propaganda ministry is sitting there for Trump and the Republicans to use and exploit if they tweak it some and best of all the news media doesnt control it the government does.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. Shortwave radio is a mere shadow of its former self.

I have several Sangean-based Radio Shack receivers, such as the DX-392, DX-396, and so forth.

VOA is prohibited from broadcasting domestically. Their big transmitter array in Greenville, NC, was dynamited in 2016.

Google "Willis Conover" to see the good that VOA can do.

Willis Conover

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. It *was* prohibited, until July 2013

https://knightcenter.utexas.edu/blog/00-14160-us-repeals-ban-broadcasting-voice-america-other-government-funded-news-american-audien
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/other/taxpayer-money-work-us-funded-foreign-broadcasts-finally-available-us-f6C10694595

[mahatmakanejeeves]

16. Well, golly. That goes to show you what I know.

How many people are left listening to shortwave? I can get Radio Havana at 6.000 Mhz and a vast array of Christian broadcasters. Other than that, I guess North Korea is still on the air. But the golden age is over.

[Fiendish Thingy]

19. Doesn't the BBC still have World Service on SW? Nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

21. I suppose they do, but

1) in English, and
2) aimed at North America,

that's been gone for ten or fifteen years.

You have the internet to blame/thank.

I can link to all kinds of information.

Glenn Hauser's World of Radio

[mwooldri]

23. Where it makes sense, yes.

To North America? Not any more. You have the partnership with American Public Media, providing public radio stations across the country with BBC programming. Got a Google Home? Say "Play BBC World Service" and more than likely it's selecting Vermont Public Radio's HD-3 feed - generally the BBC World Service "News" feed. Got a car? Sirius-XM has BBC World Service... but then with LTE broadband you can now download an app (BBC iPlayer) and now have access to BBC World Service - plus all the BBC domestic stations.

The future for international broadcasters isn't shortwave. It's FM access, satellite, broadband, and mobile phones.

This is assuming that we continue to have a free and open Internet. Though I don't foresee us having a "Great Firewall of China", if we do there will always be ways through. Plus a Great Firewall of America would be very anti-American.

[cstanleytech]

18. Who says they have to limit it to shortwave? There is online streaming plus satellite not to mention

regular old broadcasting.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

22. Yeah, that's what's taken over.

You know, in the old days, you'd be listening on the 41-meter band, and they'd say they were stopping operations at 7-point-whatever Megahertz. If you wanted to continue listening, you'd have to tune down to the 49-meter band and find them at 6-point-whatever Megahertz. Not many people are doing that anymore.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

3. Of all the things that need done (appoint ambassadors, staff, etc.) THIS is what he wastes time on?

I like the term "political operatives." It reminds me of the Soviet Union's "political officer" who was present to ensure the organization was following the current ideology.

[KatyaR]

4. The Presidential Goon Squad.

How lovely.

[pfitz59]

5. The "Two Bobs" have arrived

and heads will roll...

[maxrandb]

27. "So, what exactly would you say it is that you do here?"

Love that movie

[Yonnie3]

6. I knew several retirees from the VOA operation

They worked in Australia, UK and other shortwave relay points. They provided technical support. They are long since retired and perhaps have passed on. Unfortunately I lost touch with them.

They chafed at any suggestion that they were airing propaganda, but readily admitted that they were airing positive views of the US and its policies. In my book that is propaganda. They pointed out that the CIA did all the propaganda stations mainly aimed at Cuba and the Iron Curtain countries. Those CIA stations did not necessarily provide truth and often billed themselves as in country opposition clandestine stations.

The VOA is supposed to be largely autonomous, controlled by a bipartisan board that includes Sec. of State to protect it from "political operatives."

I am at loss as to why they need attention on day 1. Will we soon have a Ministry of Truth?

[mobeau69]

8. Early last month, a provision buried into the National Defense Authorization Act

called for disbanding the bipartisan board of the BBG, pleasing critics who said the part-time board was ineffective but alarming others who feared an accountability layer was being swept away.

The status of the board is in limbo, however, since Obama added a signing statement to the NDAA, saying it was unconstitutional to get rid of the board because it violates his constitutional right of appointment. Another uncertainty is that Lansing can be replaced at any time for a CEO appointed by the president.

[Yonnie3]

9. Thanks for the information.

I did not know about this. Apparently they have been on the radar for a while.

VoA been a constant in many peoples lives around the world. I guess they will now become a part of the alternative facts world.

Edit: And I posted before reading the link. Sorry.

[mobeau69]

10. They're still serving

but probably not for long unless they get on board with Twitler.

[cstanleytech]

20. I think we can simply shorten that to "Twit" but feel free to replace that "i" with an

"a" also because both really apply to him.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. There was thread here at the time. I'll see if I can find it. NT

[dionysus]

26. It is propaganda. Although it's almost always viewed as negative, propaganda isn't evil by

definition. These days the word is rarely used with positive connotations.

[central scrutinizer]

7. It will be like QVC

Hawking ivanka's and melania's junk 24/7

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. Soon to be "The Voice of Patriotic Devotion, Fuck Yeah" (nt)

[Mc Mike]

15. I can think of nothing more likely to turn billions world wide into bomb throwing anarchists, than

dRumpfenfuhrer personally making VOA broadcasts.

[milestogo]

17. Voice of A Liar

[mwooldri]

24. VOA. American propaganda.

The moment VOA goes into the world of #alternativefacts will be the moment the VOA will lose a ton of credibility, and it might end up becoming the next Radio Moscow or its modern day counterpart Sputnik Radio.

This ex-pat listens to BBC.

[world wide wally]

25. Is Tokyo Rose still available?

[Nitram]

28. Very disturbing. Grabbing the reins of our premier broadcaster of propaganda (yes, even the

truth can be considered propaganda when it is used to de-stabilize another country) would be the first step an authoritarian fascist would take.

[bdamomma]

29. All

I can think of is how Putin is so happy about this all. His puppet is screwing the American people and democracy is no longer.