Just days after a federal court blocked the reinstatement of over 1,000 Voice of America (VOA) employees, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is under scrutiny for approving a controversial content-sharing deal with One America News Network (OAN). The partnership allows OAN to provide its newsfeed, free of charge, to VOA and other federally funded international broadcasters.
Kari Lake, senior advisor at USAGM, announced the agreement via X on Tuesday, confirming the inclusion of OAN’s material in VOA programming. The move has triggered strong opposition from within VOA, with staff and journalists expressing concern over OAN’s political leanings and history of promoting misinformation. OAN, a far-right network owned by Herring Networks, has faced widespread criticism and the loss of major broadcasting deals in recent years, largely due to its role in spreading falsehoods about the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
The network has been embroiled in multiple lawsuits from voting technology firms. Smartmatic sued OAN for its election-related conspiracy coverage, and the case was settled in April 2024 with confidential terms. OAN also reached a settlement in 2023 with a former Dominion Voting Systems executive under similar circumstances. These legal challenges have further cemented OAN’s reputation as a partisan outlet.
Within VOA, many see the deal as undermining the organization’s longstanding mission. Patsy Widakuswara, VOA’s White House bureau chief, criticized the decision in comments to Reuters, saying it effectively replaces decades of trusted journalism with content from a clearly partisan source. She argued that the credibility built over 83 years is now at risk due to the USAGM’s willingness to outsource to an outlet with a documented record of disinformation.
This development comes amid major changes at VOA following Donald Trump’s return to the presidency. His administration has taken steps to realign government-funded media, including the appointment of Kari Lake to USAGM. Since her arrival, Lake has acted decisively to reshape the agency’s direction. In March, she placed most VOA staff on leave, accusing them of producing content that closely resembled propaganda from foreign adversaries.
The OAN deal signals a broader ideological shift at VOA, drawing concern over the future of independent journalism in U.S. government media. Critics warn that replacing professional reporters with a highly controversial outlet may damage VOA’s credibility abroad and at home.