In a sweeping move that has drawn strong reactions from press freedom advocates, more than 1,300 employees of Voice of America (VOA) were placed on administrative leave over the weekend. The decision follows President Donald Trump’s executive order to restructure and significantly downsize the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and several other federal agencies.
Massive Layoffs Shake Voice of America
Michael Abramowitz, VOA’s director, confirmed that nearly the entire staff—including journalists, producers, and technical assistants—was affected. The agency, which has been a critical source of independent news for millions worldwide, is now largely inoperative.
“I am deeply saddened that, for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” Abramowitz wrote on LinkedIn. He emphasized that the organization has played an essential role in promoting democracy and press freedom across the globe.
Founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA now reaches an estimated 360 million people weekly in nearly 50 languages. With USAGM’s annual budget of $886 million, it also funds two other major media organizations—Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia (RFA). Both have had their funding terminated, effectively cutting off access to independent news for audiences in authoritarian regimes, including Russia, China, and North Korea.
Trump Administration Defends the Decision
Kari Lake, a former news anchor and staunch Trump ally, who has been nominated to lead VOA, stated that the USAGM is “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer” and declared it “not salvageable.” As a senior adviser to USAGM, she pledged to reduce the agency to its legally required minimum.
Trump’s executive order, signed on Friday, directed USAGM and six other lesser-known federal agencies to scale back operations. The White House justified the move by citing the need to eliminate “radical propaganda” and government inefficiencies.
Free Press Advocates Raise Alarm
Press freedom organizations and international leaders have condemned the decision, warning of its impact on independent journalism worldwide.
Mike Balsamo, President of the National Press Club, called the move a serious blow to press freedom. “For decades, Voice of America has provided fact-based, independent journalism to audiences in countries where press freedom does not exist,” he stated.
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders echoed these concerns, stating the move “threatens press freedom worldwide and negates 80 years of American history in supporting a free flow of information.”
Radio Free Asia’s president, Bay Fang, criticized the cuts as a “reward to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party, who would like nothing better than to have their influence go unchecked.”
Political Reactions and Fallout
While some conservatives have long argued that VOA and similar government-funded media outlets exhibit bias against right-wing views, critics warn that dismantling these institutions benefits authoritarian regimes.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky described RFE/RL as a “beacon” for people living under totalitarian rule. “From Belarus to Iran, from Russia to Afghanistan, RFE and Voice of America are among the few free sources of news available to those without freedom,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Elon Musk and Government Downsizing
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has spearheaded aggressive cuts across federal agencies. His department has reportedly eliminated over 100,000 government jobs and frozen numerous programs.
Musk weighed in on the USAGM shutdown on Saturday, jokingly referring to the agency as the “Department of Propaganda Everywhere (DOPE)” in a post on X.
Broader Implications of Trump’s Executive Order
Alongside USAGM, Trump’s executive order also targeted the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency. These agencies have been ordered to scale back to their minimum legally mandated functions.
With VOA now largely silenced, concerns grow over the future of global press freedom. As governments and advocacy groups respond to these sweeping changes, the long-term impact of the cuts remains uncertain.
