On Dec. 11, President-elect Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he has tapped Kari Lake to serve as the next director of Voice of America.
Lake was a television news anchor in Phoenix for nearly three decades until she left in 2021 after making a series of controversial statements on social media, including sharing COVID-19 misinformation during the pandemic.
She launched her political career a short time later, quickly building a following and national profile as she sparred with journalists and echoed Trump in her sharp criticism of what she called the “fake news.” She ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for Arizona governor in 2022 and Arizona Senator in 2024.
After Trump’s announcement, many people on social media claimed they’d never heard of Voice of America before. Others asked if Trump created a new organization and position just for Lake.
Recent search trends also show that “What is Voice of America?” is spiking online.
THE QUESTION
Is Voice of America a new government organization?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, Voice of America is not a new government organization.
WHAT WE FOUND
Voice of America is not new. It’s a U.S. government-funded international multimedia news organization that was founded in the 1940s.
Voice of America started in 1942 as a radio broadcaster to “combat Nazi propaganda with accurate and unbiased news and information.” Congress funds the organization through the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which is a federal agency that oversees all non-military U.S. international broadcasting. Congress passed a law establishing the organization in 1976.
According to Voice of America’s congressional charter, the organization is required to present objective, independent news and information to international audiences. These are the principles that govern all Voice of America broadcasts:
- VOA will serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news. VOA news will be accurate, objective, and comprehensive.
- VOA will represent America, not any single segment of American society, and will therefore present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions.
- VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussions and opinion on these policies.
Since it was founded more than 80 years ago, Voice of America has expanded to online, social and television platforms to share U.S. policy-centric content around the world. The organization currently broadcasts to an estimated weekly global audience of more than 354 million people in nearly 50 languages.
Although Trump says he wants Lake to lead Voice of America, that role is actually appointed by the head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which is a position appointed by the president that requires congressional confirmation. Trump said on Dec. 11 that he plans to announce his nomination for the head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media soon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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