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The Lawfare Podcast

Fear and Loathing at the U.S. Agency for Global Media

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Politics, Terrorism, National Security, News, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Intelligence, Rule Of Law, Military, Constitutional Law, Current Events, International Relations, History, International Law, Government, Law

4.76.4K Ratings

🗓️ 21 October 2020

⏱️ 49 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

While everyone’s attention has been focused on the coronavirus and the run-up to the 2020 election, a lot has been happening at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees a number of government-funded entities, including the Voice of America. Michael Pack, a conservative filmmaker, was confirmed as the head of the Agency for Global Media in June after much controversy on Capitol Hill. Once installed, Pack gutted the top leadership and took actions critics say breached the firewall meant to protect these various overseas news outlets from politicization. He held back congressionally appropriated funds and even defied a bipartisan congressional subpoena for his testimony. Investigations have been opened, and lawsuits have been filed. Margaret Taylor sat down with NPR’s David Folkenflik to sort it all out.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

The following podcast contains advertising.

0:04.0

To access an ad-free version of the LawFair podcast,

0:08.0

become a material supporter of LawFair at patreon.com slash law fair.

0:14.0

That's patreon.com slash law fair.

0:18.0

Also, check out LawFair's other podcast offerings,

0:22.0

rational security, chatter, law fair no bull, and the aftermath.

0:29.0

According to journalists I've spoken to in a variety of different language services,

0:37.0

it has served as an inhibitor from the kind of robust coverage without fear that they thought they might be able to do.

0:45.0

It means that every time they're going to put up a tweet or something on Facebook or some other service or on their regular broadcasts,

0:54.0

they have to think hard, do I need to have somebody rebut every element of a contention?

0:58.0

If I'm doing an interview back and forth, is it enough that I'm pressing somebody on his or her claims?

1:03.0

Or do I have to have somebody else in that same segment?

1:06.0

And while fairness is something for which all newsrooms should strive, and one which is by law mandated for voice of America,

1:14.0

the people enforcing that, you know, shouldn't be non-journalists if one puts any stock in the statutory and legislative protections

1:22.0

that are supposed to be shielding voice of America and its sister networks.

1:28.0

I'm Margaret Taylor and this is the LawFair podcast, October 21st, 2020.

1:34.0

While everyone's attention has been focused on the coronavirus and the run-up to the 2020 election,

1:39.0

a lot has been happening at the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees a number of government-funded entities,

1:45.0

including the Voice of America.

1:48.0

Michael Pack, a conservative filmmaker, was confirmed as the head of the Agency for Global Media in June,

1:54.0

after much controversy on Capitol Hill.

1:57.0

Once installed, Pack gutted the top leadership and took actions critics say breached the firewall meant to protect these various overseas news outlets from politicization.

...

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