In a bold and unexpected move, the Trump administration has decided to suspend employees from Voice of America (VOA) and other government-funded media outlets, as reported by AFP. Yesterday, numerous workers from VOA, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe, and their affiliated networks were informed via emails that they must vacate their offices, return their press credentials, and hand over all government-issued equipment.
This decision follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Friday, which placed the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) on a list of federal agencies deemed “unnecessary.” USAGM oversees the broadcasters, which have long been tasked with representing American ideals globally.
Kari Lake, who was appointed to head USAGM after her unsuccessful Senate campaign, justified the move in an email to her staff, arguing that taxpayer funds “no longer effectuate agency priorities.”
The White House has stated that the cuts were made as part of a cost-saving effort. “Taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda,” the statement read, signaling a stark shift from the United States’ longstanding policy of supporting international media to foster free speech and democracy.
Michael Abramowitz, Director of VOA, one of the 1,300 employees affected, expressed concern that this decision would severely impair the broadcaster’s ability to fulfill its mission. “VOA needs thoughtful reform, and we have made progress in that regard. But today’s action will leave Voice of America unable to carry out its vital mission,” Abramowitz posted on Facebook. VOA’s programming, which reaches 360 million people in 48 languages, has been seen as a cornerstone of US foreign policy.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which began its broadcasts into the Soviet Union during the Cold War, also denounced the funding cuts. “The Iranian ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years,” said RFE/RL’s president, Stephen Capus.
The decision has faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with Congresswoman Lois Frankel, denounced it as a “dangerous step” that would “cause lasting damage to US efforts to counter propaganda around the world.”
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