Kari Lake said that she does not intend to turn the government-funded news outlet Voice of America into “MAGA TV”, but that she wants to see a return to politically neutral journalism.
“I'm sure they're doing some great work already. I've been looking around a little bit,” Lake said in an interview with CBS News on Saturday. “I'm not out to make it Trump TV and MAGA TV. That's not what it's about. That's not what the Voice of America is.”
Lake, a former broadcast journalist who unsuccessfully ran for governor and a US Senate seat in ArizonaPresident-elect Donald Trump's Selection for head of international broadcaster,
VOA, which is part of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, broadcasts news internationally in 49 languages on radio, television and online to an audience of an estimated 354 million people per week, according to its website. It is run by an independent federal agency.
Lake sharply criticized non-conservative media outlets during comments on stage at AmericaFest on Saturday, a political gathering organized by the far-right group Turning Point USA in Phoenix, saying, “Fake news – the mainstream media – that's just Has become obsolete.”
“They're good for one thing,” she told the crowd. “They're kind of like a barometer. If you see fake news attacking someone, what you should do is say: I have to support that person.”
In an interview later Saturday, she told CBS News that she would like to ensure that VOA staff “have the resources to be the incredible journalists they want to be.”
Asked about his plans to make changes to the newsroom, Lake said: “Well, I'll have to go over there and see what's going on.” After this she indicated that she wanted to expand its scope.
“We are speaking to the world through the Voice of America,” he said. “And I really want to put more coverage out there, more product, if you will, more broadcasts, and make sure that they're really doing quality, top-tier broadcasts and focusing on great journalism. are asking questions, and making sure that journalists know they are independent journalists.”
Lake responded to some people's concerns that she might politicize the news organization, saying that she did not care whether reporters were Democrat or Republican, but whether they could put their opinions aside.
Lake said, “I've never met anyone – they may say they're neutral, but I've never actually met anyone who hasn't built trust.” “It's natural. It's normal. Can you as a journalist examine it while covering the news? To make a fair and accurate assessment. And so that's what I'm going to insist on.”
Lake revealed that she thinks people will realize that she is not the person described by the “corporate media”.
She said, “Sometimes I feel like when I meet people I have to go out of my way to prove that I don't have horns growing out of my head, because the corporate mainstream media has treated me so dishonestly. ” “And that's something I can relate to with President Trump. The worst things have been said about us.”
Lake also admitted that Trump cannot appoint him to this post unilaterally – this decision depends on A bipartisan board For this, the current director will have to be removed and a new director will have to be approved.
VOA reported last week that its current director, Mike Abramowitz, said in an email to staff that he welcomed a “smooth transition of power.”