Kari Lake is taking her job seriously and is already making changes to reform one of America’s most famous media sources. Voice of America, the U.S. government-funded international broadcaster, is ending its contracts with major news agencies, including The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse (AFP). Lake, special adviser to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, announced the decision, describing it as a cost-cutting measure aimed at refocusing the agency’s news production.
Lake, a former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and current Republican U.S. Senate candidate, called the contracts “expensive and unnecessary.” She argued that with a nearly $1 billion budget, the agency should not need external news providers and questioned why taxpayer funding should support such agreements, according to The Daily Caller.
“USAGM is an American taxpayer funded News Organization with an 83-year history. We should not be paying outside news companies to tell us what the news is—with nearly a billion-dollar budget, we should be producing news ourselves,” Lake wrote. “And if that’s not possible, the American taxpayer should demand to know why.”
During a meeting with VOA staffers Friday, employees were reportedly told to “stop using wire service material for their reports,” according to Newsmax. Notably, audio, video, and text reports have often been used to supplement coverage from locations where reporters are not present, the outlet reported.
In an interview with Newsmax prior to the official contract cuts, Lake discussed how the agency was finding “a lot of nonsense that the American taxpayer shouldn’t be paying for.”
Lake was sworn in as USAGM’s special adviser on March 3, saying she’s “looking forward” to serving America and “streamlining” the agency. The cuts from the agency follow President Donald Trump’s push for his second administration to review the government’s wasteful spending.
I’ve been in fact-finding mode at the USAGM, & boy, am I finding a lot of nonsense that the American taxpayer shouldn’t be paying for.
Today, I started the process of terminating the agency’s contracts with the Associated Press, Reuters, & the Agence France-Presse. This will… pic.twitter.com/iYyaPnJ9lD
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) March 14, 2025
Trump has also voiced criticism, stating on social media that Lake’s moves will help “ensure that the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the world FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media.”
As a result of this shift, VOA will need to rely more on its in-house journalists to produce original reporting. Whether this change will enhance the broadcaster’s global news coverage or limit its reach remains uncertain.
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Lake was a TV news host/anchor so she knows media. Now she is a cost cutter as well. Keep up the good work. Every dime not wasted is a good thing.