More than 1,300 employees of the Voice of America (VOA) were placed on administrative leave on Saturday, and funding for two U.S.-funded news services targeting "authoritarian regimes" was abruptly terminated. The move comes just one day after President Donald Trump ordered significant cuts to the parent agency of VOA and six other federal agencies, marking a dramatic shift in U.S. government-funded media operations.
Michael Abramowitz, VOA's director, confirmed that nearly the entire staff of 1,300 journalists, producers, and assistants had been placed on leave, effectively halting the operations of a broadcaster that reaches audiences in nearly 50 languages.
"I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced," Abramowitz wrote in a LinkedIn post. He emphasized VOA's critical role "in the fight for freedom and democracy around the world."
Funding Cut for Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia
The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), VOA's parent organization, also terminated grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia (RFA). RFE/RL broadcasts to Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, while RFA targets audiences in China and North Korea.
Hundreds of reporters and staff at VOA, RFE/RL, RFA, and other affiliated outlets received emails over the weekend instructing them to surrender press passes, office-issued phones, and other equipment, and barring them from entering their offices.
President Trump, who has previously targeted other federal agencies such as the U.S. aid agency and the Department of Education, issued an executive order on Friday listing USAGM among "elements of the federal bureaucracy that the president has determined are unnecessary."
Stephen Capus, president of RFE/RL, condemned the decision, stating, "The Iranian ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years." He warned that "handing our adversaries a win would make them stronger and America weaker."
VOA's Legacy and Global Reach
Founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA now reaches an estimated 360 million people weekly. The USAGM, as a whole, employs roughly 3,500 workers and operates on an $886 million budget for 2024, according to its latest report to Congress.
The suspension of operations has left many employees in limbo. William Gallo, VOA's Seoul Bureau Chief, revealed on Sunday that he had been locked out of all company systems and accounts.
"All I've ever wanted to do is shoot straight and tell the truth, no matter what government I was covering. If that's a threat to anyone, so be it," Gallo wrote on Bluesky, a social media platform.
Mixed Reactions from "Target Countries"
While the decision has drawn widespread criticism from press freedom advocates, some experts and officials in countries targeted by VOA and its sister outlets have welcomed the move. They argue that these organizations have, on numerous occasions, spread misinformation to destabilize nations.