OAN Becomes Main VOA Newsfeed Amid Layoffs

Kari Lake, senior adviser at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), has announced a partnership with One America News Network (OAN) to provide newsfeed services to Voice of America (VOA) and other USAGM outlets, citing cost savings and allegations of anti-Trump bias at VOA. The partnership follows widespread layoffs and the cancellation of contracts with major news agencies such as AP and Reuters. OAN, known for promoting pro-Trump conspiracy theories, will now be a primary news source for U.S.-funded international broadcasts. The move has sparked alarm among press freedom advocates, former VOA staff, and critics who argue it undermines VOA’s credibility and independent journalistic mission. Legal challenges have been filed by laid-off employees, contending the actions violate federal law and VOA’s mandate. Conservative commentators, however, have welcomed the changes as a counter to what they perceive as liberal bias.