New Trump Appointee Cans Four Heads Of US Media Organizations, Installs Himself, Liberty Counsel Staffer

The New York Times reports:

A conservative filmmaker who recently took over a United States global media agency removed the chiefs of four news organizations under its purview on Wednesday night, according to people with knowledge of the decision, in an action that raises questions about their editorial independence.

The filmmaker, Michael Pack, also dismissed the head of a technology group and disbanded the bipartisan boards that govern and advise those five organizations.

He replaced the members, which are the same across the organizations, largely with Trump administration political appointees, including himself as chairman. One board member works for a conservative advocacy organization, Liberty Counsel Action.

The affected organizations include Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia. Pack is best buddies with Steve Bannon and is currently under investigation for allegedly diverting $1.6 million from a nonprofit he runs to his film production company. The Senate had held up his confirmation for years.

As I’ve been saying this week, the story of Trump appointing a Steve Bannon associate, Michael Pack, to the parent agency of Voice of America is a big one that will only get bigger. And more dangerous. This is the Breitbartization of U.S. government media.https://t.co/bADTCv4jtc

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 18, 2020

This should alarm you. CDC banned VOA because Trump said it’s not giving him good press. On June 4, Trump installed a Steve Bannon associate, Michael Pack, as head of VOA’s parent agency. Prepare for this impartial government media outlet to become a state-sponsored Breitbart. https://t.co/yNj14IUVba

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 15, 2020