Kari Lake said it’s not her intention to turn the government-funded news outlet Voice of America into “MAGA TV,” but that she wants to see a return of politically neutral journalism.
“I’m sure they’re doing some great stuff already. I’ve been looking a little bit here and there,” Lake said in an interview with CBS News Saturday. “I’m not there to make it Trump TV and MAGA TV. That’s not what this is about. That’s not what Voice of America is.”
Lake, a former broadcast journalist who unsuccessfully ran for governor and for a U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, is President-elect Donald Trump’s selection to head the 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 on Saturday was sharply critical of non-conservative media outlets during remarks on stage at AmericaFest, a political gathering in Phoenix hosted by the far-right group Turning Point USA, saying “the fake news — the mainstream media — has just become obsolete.”
“They’re good for one thing,” she told the crowd. “They’re kind of like a barometer. If you see the fake news attacking someone, what you should do is say: I’ve got to support that person.”
In an interview later Saturday, she told CBS News she’d like to ensure VOA staff have the resources to “be the incredible journalists that they’re meant to be.”
Asked about her plans for changes to the newsroom, Lake said: “Well, I need to get in there and see what’s going on.” She then indicated she wants to expand its coverage.
“We’re talking to the world through Voice of America,” she said. “And I want to actually put more coverage out there, more product out there, if you will, more broadcasting, and make sure that they’re doing really quality, top-notch broadcasting and focus on great journalism, asking questions, and making sure that the journalists know that they’re independent journalists.”
Lake responded to concerns by some that she might politicize the news organization by saying she doesn’t care if the reporters are Democrats or Republicans, but whether they can set aside their opinions.
“I’ve never met anybody – they can say they’re neutral, but I’ve never really met anybody that has not formed beliefs,” Lake said. “It’s natural. It’s normal. Can you as a journalist check this while you’re covering the news? To put out a fair and accurate assessment. And so that’s what I’m going to be pushing for.”
Lake disclosed that she thinks people will realize she’s not the person the “corporate media” has described.
“Sometimes I feel like I have to go, when I meet people, to prove I don’t have horns coming out of my head, because the corporate mainstream media has done such a dishonest number on me,” she said. “And that’s one thing that I can relate to a lot with President Trump. We’ve had just the worst stuff said about us.”
Lake also acknowledged that Trump can’t unilaterally appoint her to this position — that decision lies with a bipartisan board that would have to remove the current director and approve a new one.
VOA reported last week that its current director, Mike Abramowitz, said in an email to staff that he welcomed “a smooth transition of power.”