President-elect Trump is about to inherit a newly empowered Voice of America that some officials fear could serve as an unfettered propaganda arm for the former reality TV star who has flirted for years with launching his own network. Buried on page 1,404 of the National Defense Authorization Act that passed last week is a provision that would disband the bipartisan board of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

U.S. needs more money for more soft power outreach abroad, but Congress and President must first reform Broadcasting Board of Governors. [...] We don't spend enough money on U.S. government propaganda abroad now, and we did not spend enough money on it during the Cold War, but we were spending money and getting the message across much more effectively during the Cold War than we do now. 

U.S. international media outreach is in a deep crisis in the period of intensifying anti-American propaganda, particularly on foreign pseudo-news websites and social media. It's a matter of concern for a lot of Americans, including, among others, former U.S. Secretaries of State George Shultz and Hillary Clinton. 

When David Ensor announced last week that he was stepping down as the director of the Voice of America, critics saw the move as the latest sign of turmoil at the government agency that is charged with presenting America’s viewpoint to the world.