U.S. President Donald Trump inked an executive order to reverse the operations of the U.S. government-funded news outlet, Voice of America (VOA), for propagating “anti-Trump” and “radical” ideologies. This is also a bigger plan aimed at restricting the reach of federally-funded media that have been critical of his government.
The order targets the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), VOA’s parent agency, which oversees overseas broadcasters such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia. Trump’s directive calls on managers to “cut back performance” to the minimum permitted by law, essentially sidelining staff at the media outlets.
Mike Abramowitz, VOA’s director, stated he was concerned about the order and that he and nearly all of the network’s 1,300 employees were placed on paid leave. Abramowitz noted the order hinders VOA from carrying out its valuable mission, especially at a time when global adversaries like Iran, China, and Russia are spreading disinformation to undermine the United States.
The National Press Club, the hub defender of American journalists, criticized the move as an affront to press freedom, highlighting that the action sets aside America’s historic history of independent reporting. The union cautioned that the action that disrespects the VOA newsroom signifies the government shifting toward altering the way it views journalism at its core.
VOA, which began transmitting during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda, broadcasts to several hundred million listeners every week worldwide. It is seen as a vital instrument to share the American ideals of free speech and democracy across the world. The proposal to cut funding has raised questions about the future of impartial journalism in the outlet, which is seen as on par with the BBC World Service in the United Kingdom.
Czech Republic foreign minister Jan Lipavský expressed concern about the possible impact of such cuts on Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and urged European assistance to keep the radio station operational.
Elon Musk, a leading Trump adviser, also advocated for the shutdown of VOA and has demanded the closure of the outlet via his social media platform X. Critics contend that the move is only one of many steps toward silencing voices against the government.
