A recent judicial blow against a White House advisor hasn’t stalled a significant shift in control of U.S. international broadcasting. Just days after a federal judge invalidated actions taken by Kari Lake, overseeing changes at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the Trump Administration moved to consolidate power over the agency.
Sarah B. Rogers, previously the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, has been appointed the new CEO of USAGM. Mike Rigas, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, will serve as Acting CEO while Rogers awaits Senate confirmation. This dual appointment signals a clear intention to integrate the agency more closely with the State Department.
Lake had openly stated her ambition to drastically reduce the size of USAGM, ultimately transferring its functions and resources to the State Department. This plan, designed to centralize control of U.S. messaging abroad, now appears to be gaining momentum with Rogers and Rigas at the helm.
The judge’s ruling deemed Lake’s actions “unconstitutional,” effectively nullifying personnel changes she initiated, including reduction-in-force notices issued last August. Despite the setback, Lake vowed to appeal the decision, framing it as a challenge to the administration’s efforts to streamline government and eliminate perceived bureaucratic waste.
The legal challenge originated from a lawsuit filed by six USAGM and Voice of America employees who were placed on administrative leave during Lake’s restructuring efforts. These employees alleged that Lake’s actions were politically motivated and detrimental to the agency’s independent reporting.
Adding fuel to the controversy, audio recordings surfaced revealing potentially biased viewpoints among some of the dissenting journalists. One reporter, Patsy Widakuswara, was heard expressing sympathy for the leader of Venezuela and criticizing the Trump Administration’s policies toward the country.
Another journalist, Jessica Jerreat, openly questioned her role, admitting to struggling with the line between objective journalism and activism. She alluded to concerns about potential repercussions for colleagues with visa dependencies and immigration issues, suggesting a willingness to prioritize those concerns over impartial reporting.
Prior to the court ruling, Lake discussed her efforts to overhaul USAGM, emphasizing her success in curbing what she described as “globalist propaganda” and reducing the agency’s size to its legally mandated minimum. She believed these changes were essential to ensuring the agency accurately reflected and promoted the administration’s foreign policy objectives.
The unfolding situation at USAGM represents a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over the role of U.S. international media and the balance between independent journalism and government control of information.
