More than 1,300 employees of Voice of America (VOA) were placed on administrative leave on Saturday, and funding for two U.S. news services broadcasting to authoritarian regimes was terminated, following an executive order by President Donald Trump that targets the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and six other federal agencies. The move has raised concerns over the future of U.S.-funded media outlets, known for their vital role in delivering independent journalism to countries with restricted press freedoms.
Michael Abramowitz, VOA’s director, confirmed that nearly the entire staff of journalists, producers, and assistants had been sidelined, severely disrupting the operations of the media outlet, which broadcasts in almost 50 languages. “I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” Abramowitz stated on LinkedIn, emphasizing VOA’s historic importance in promoting freedom and democracy worldwide.
In addition to cutting VOA’s operations, USAGM, which oversees VOA, also ended its grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia (RFA). RFE/RL serves Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, while RFA broadcasts to China and North Korea. These outlets have been crucial in providing independent news to populations under authoritarian regimes, often facing significant threats from oppressive governments.
The Trump administration’s move follows an executive order signed on Friday, which directs USAGM and other agencies to reduce their operations to the minimum required by law. Trump’s directive aims to shrink bureaucracy but has sparked backlash from free press advocates and international organizations. The National Press Club’s president, Mike Balsamo, condemned the cuts, stating that they undermine America’s commitment to a free and independent press. “For decades, Voice of America has delivered fact-based, independent journalism to audiences worldwide, often in places where press freedom does not exist,” Balsamo said.
International bodies, including Reporters Without Borders, also criticized the cuts, arguing that they threaten global press freedom and undermine 80 years of U.S. support for independent journalism. Bay Fang, president of Radio Free Asia, called the move “a reward to dictators and despots,” particularly criticizing the impact on China’s control over information.
The decision follows a broader initiative to downsize government operations. Critics, including some Republicans, have argued that VOA and similar outlets show a left-wing bias and should be shuttered. Elon Musk, who has supported efforts to shrink the government, made light of the situation, humorously renaming USAGM the “Department of Propaganda Everywhere” (DOPE) on social media.
Trump’s executive orders also targeted several other agencies for budget cuts, including the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Minority Business Development Agency, among others. The White House defended the cuts, stating that they would reduce taxpayers’ burden on “radical propaganda” and addressing allegations of left-wing bias in U.S.-funded media.
The fate of VOA, RFE/RL, and RFA remains uncertain as these cuts threaten to cripple some of the most significant sources of independent news in countries where freedom of speech and press are heavily restricted.
 were placed on administrative leave on Saturday, and funding for two U.S. news services broadcasting to authoritarian regimes was terminated.){kind=link}