New Amendment Passed By Congress Threatens Government-Funded Media

With the Trump transition dominating the news cycle, Congress passed an amendment that will change the way Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty will operate.

The amendment, which is part of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2017, mandates government-funded media organizations to be run by a CEO appointed by the president rather than by the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

NPR correspondent David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) talks with Here & Now's Robin Young about how this will affect the companies' journalism, and why President Barack Obama supported it.