Trump's Budget Ax Falls on Voice of America and Radio Free Europe
Employees at Voice of America were put on administrative leave as the Trump administration reduced funding forUS-backed media organizations that broadcast to Russia, China, and North Korea.
Employees at Voice of America (VOA) got an email on Saturday putting them on paid administrative leave "pending further notice." The message also told them not to go into VOA offices or use its internal systems.
Meanwhile, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty And organizations like Radio Free Asia, which similarly receive support from the U.S. government, have experienced reduced financial backing. These platforms all aim to disseminate unrestricted news to viewers abroad, particularly in areas of conflict such as Ukraine, rival nations like China and Russia, or regimes like North Korea’s dictatorship.
Reporters Without Borders urges the global community to take action.
This action comes shortly after President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at scaling back the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), reducing it to its bare minimum legal responsibilities. This organization manages outlets such as Voice of America and supports entities like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia financially. Notably, USAGM is led by Kari Lake, who aligns with Trump politically.
"President issues an Executive Order named Continuation of the Decrease in Federal Workforce," as shared online by Lake.
She mentioned, 'If you work for the agency, please check your email right away,'
Initially, it wasn’t clear exactly how many Voice of America (VOA) staff members had been placed on leave; however, Reporters Without Borders, an international press freedom organization, stated that every employee was impacted. The journalists’ group criticized this action as “a deviation from the United States' traditional stance as a champion for unrestricted information” and urged U.S. legislators to take notice and act accordingly. the international community To "act against this unparalleled step."
Tension between VOA and Trump
Trump and his close ally, billionaire Elon Musk, have been attempting to slash funding to multiple federal agencies and programs. The latest cuts directed at the US-funded media outlets, however, come just a day after Trump publicly lambasted US media As "corrupt" and "illegal." The U.S. President charged the media with bias against him and denounced the private networks CNN and MSNBC as "political tools of the Democratic Party."
In his initial term, Donald Trump had conflicts with VOA. compelled two of its leading directors to step down in 2020 . The White House specifically protested a video about the reopening of Wuhan in China, the origin point of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The administration asserted that the VOA "frequently voices opinions of America’s opponents rather than those of its own citizens," and stated that the outlet "echoed Beijing’s propaganda."
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
Author: Darko Janjevic (Associated Press, Reuters)
