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Donald Trump has enacted an executive order aimed at diminishing the role of the global, independent, federally funded news entity, Voice of America.
This directive focuses on VOA’s parent organization, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which also provides funding for non-profit entities like Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, created to counteract communism.
Additionally, it instructs the leadership of these agencies to “minimize performance… to just the legal requirements”.
Mike Abramowitz, the director of VOA, stated that he and nearly all 1,300 staff members have been placed on paid leave.
Abramowitz remarked that this order effectively paralyzes VOA’s critical mission, which is especially important today as adversaries like Iran, China, and Russia invest significantly to propagate false narratives undermining the United States.
No clarification has been provided from the Trump administration, and it remains uncertain whether the stations will be entirely shut down.
According to CBS, the BBC’s US news partner, employees of VOA received notification via email from Crystal Thomas, the USAGM human resources director.
Sources disclosed to CBS that all freelance and international contractors have been informed there is no available funding for their payments.
Emails acquired by CBS also revealed that the leaders of Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty were informed their federal grants had been terminated.
VOA, along with other USAGM-affiliated stations, serves more than 400 million listeners, functioning similarly to the BBC World Service, which receives partial funding from the British government.
Elon Musk, a key adviser to Trump known for cutting back government departments, has advocated for the dismantling of VOA on his social media platform, X.
The US president has also slashed funding for various federal agencies, including those that address homelessness and support museums and libraries.
Trump has been vocally critical of VOA throughout his first presidential term. He recently appointed Kari Lake, a loyal supporter, as a special adviser for the US Agency for Global Media.
The president frequently claims that traditional media organizations are biased against him, describing UJ and MSNBC as “corrupt” and “illegal,” without providing supporting evidence during a speech at the Justice Department.
Voice of America was established in 1942 with a mission to fight Nazi and Japanese propaganda. Its inaugural broadcast, delivered from a transmitter lent by the BBC, set forth a modest goal.
Former President Gerald Ford signed the public charter of the VOA in 1976, ensuring its editorial independence.
By 1994, the Broadcast Board of Governors was created to supervise non-military broadcasting.
A legislative amendment in 2013 allowed VOA and its affiliates to start broadcasting within the US.
