Patsy Widakuswara is VOA's Senior White House Correspondent where she brings over 25 years of international broadcast experience to deliver engaging, informative content to VOA's 280 million audience worldwide.
Posted on 01/13/2021 3:53:42 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
The White House reporter for Voice of America was abruptly pulled from her beat after trying to question Secretary of State Mike Pompeo following a speech he gave at the government agency this week.
Pompeo’s speech and the demotion of Patsy Widakuswara led to an angry phone meeting between journalists and managers Tuesday that typified some of the tensions at the agency during President Donald Trump’s administration.
After speaking, he engaged in a brief question and answer session with VOA’s new director, Robert Reilly.
Apparently unsatisfied with the questions put to Pompeo, Widakuswara shouted her own as he was leaving. “Mr. Secretary, what are you doing to repair the United States’ reputation around the world?” she asked, in reference to last week’s riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to a tape of the encounter she later tweeted.
When he didn’t answer, she asked, “Mr. Secretary, do you regret saying there will be a second Trump administration?”
Pompeo walked away without acknowledging her.
“It is my job,” Widakuswara tweeted. She declined comment when reached by The Associated Press.
The Pompeo meeting itself was the subject of controversy among journalists there, particularly during the pandemic, and because they weren’t allowed to ask questions, although some were submitted to Reilly in writing.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Patsy Widakuswara is VOA's Senior White House Correspondent where she brings over 25 years of international broadcast experience to deliver engaging, informative content to VOA's 280 million audience worldwide.
What an idiot. I hope she was transferred to janitorial.
Bye bye,
That's how a free press operates.
She can ask whatever she wants but she is still qualified only to sweep floors. I’m sick of these stupid “reporters” asking stupid questions. If that’s the only questions she wants to ask then she is a moron.
This explains a great deal. CIA used to be about defending US interests abroad. Now the CIA is used to protect cabal interests everywhere.
If the reporter has been reassigned, I’ll bet a week’s pay that she violated a protocol that was laid out to the attendees before the event began.
ME, ME, ME. I can go tell all my libturd pals how I engaged the Republican Sec State....
I’ll bet a week’s pay that she violated a protocol that was laid out to the attendees before the event began. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Thats exactly what happened.
She actually risked the decertification of her employer’s press credentials.
No wonder she was transferred.
many of thhis new generation of reporters are so sophomoric, they can’t help but trip over the huge ideological dicks they carry around after being indoctrinated at their local Alinsky University campus.
Firing her would have been quite appropriate.
The CIA is strange organization. Every single one is concerned with their next promotion. It is the same disease at the State Department. Everyone is constantly scheming to get some recognition, or a bullet on their performance rating in hopes of an early promotion. Like they is SF, it who you blow and who you know (Biblical sense).
We don’t have a free press anymore.
Why do people still pretend we have a free press? I understand it feels good to say this. This is no longer reality though.
Additionally, I don’t think this followed the decorum of the event. I didn’t listen to it all, but the questions I heard were coming from one guy acting like a moderator. Other people shouting questions as a guest is leaving may have been inappropriate to that event. If she was acting like this was an open press conference when it wasn’t then she was out of line.
The crap that goes on at the White House to my knowledge has never been allowed at the State Department. And participants know it.
If that's the case, I stand corrected.
You are right and I was wrong.
VOA isn’t free press. It’s government funded. It’s basically a high school newspaper. And they have always been a propaganda outlet for state/CIA. This “reporter” was pushing the deep state message.
You are,all leftists and liars and biased democrats.
MAGA
They are not journalists. They are a part of the democrat party.
Don’t be blind !!
See post #14.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.