By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 6-16-20
Independent watchdog group Freedom House is slamming what it said is the Trump Administration’s “unprecedented attack on press freedom,” in this case an outlet funded by the government.
Freedom House cites documents released under a FOIA request by the Knight First Amendment Institute that found that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff had been instructed to ignore requests for interview and info requests from the Voice of America.
President Trump has accused VOA of badmouthing the U.S. in the past, branding its broadcasts as “disgusting.”
One issue for the President was the two years that the nomination of his new head of VOA parent Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Michael Pack, was held up by Democrats. Pack finally got his vote of approval by the Senate Republican Majority June 4, which prompted the resignation of VOA leadership. » Read More