(Washington) The White House correspondent for the International Public Radio Voice of America (VOA) has been re-appointed to a less prestigious position, following an attempt to question Secretary of State Mike Pompey, who was “punished” by his colleagues and elected officials.
The head of the US embassy was invited to address a radio station in Washington on Monday in the wake of allegations that the Donald Trump government had seized the “Voice of America”.
Michael Pack, the CEO appointed by Donald Trump, tried in October to overturn a provision that prevented him from interfering with editorial content.
On the spot, Mike Pompeo urged radio journalists to “reject” America and promote “American abnormality”.
Condemning the “dangerous tendency of censorship”, he acknowledged that many did not want to talk, but a letter from the “whistleblowers” internally criticized “political campaigning in the last days of the Trump administration.”
At the end of his speech, the Foreign Secretary had a very pleasant exchange with the Radio Director without politically sensitive questions. On the other hand, the journalists of Antenna have no right to question him.
VOA White House Correspondent Patsy Divorce Mike followed him when he left Pompeo and tried to ask him questions, especially Donald Trump supporters against the Capitol about the image of the United States in the world after last week’s attack. She posted a video of her failed attempt on Twitter.
In the process, the journalist was reassigned to another post by her employer.
Patsy communicated with the Association of Correspondents at the White House that the “punishment” aimed at divorce, “for doing her job, that is, for asking questions, is an insult to the ideals that erupted in Foreign Secretary Pompey’s speech.”
A VOA spokesman declined to “comment on internal staffing issues.”
In a joint statement, the House’s Foreign Affairs Committee leaders, Democrat Gregory Meeks and Republican Michael McCall also said they had questioned the radio on “this disturbing information.”
The two elected officials predicted that “such interference would be a violation of the ‘Wall of China’ established by Congress” between the heads of the holding companies that control the international public media of the United States and their journalists.
“Without a legitimate reason for this decision, […] We want her to get her job back, “she told the Associated Press.
“This is the United States of America: we do not punish our journalists for looking for answers to their questions. A free and fair press is at the heart of our constitution and our democracy, ”they warned.
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