Voice of America (VOA) and other US-funded media organizations began mass layoffs under the Trump administration on Sunday, signaling a significant reduction in outlets critical to US global influence.
Just a day after employees were placed on leave, contractors received emails informing them of their termination effective at the end of March. The email, confirmed by several employees to AFP, instructed contractors to “cease all work immediately” and prohibited access to agency buildings or systems.
Contractors, many of whom are not US citizens and rely on VOA jobs for visas, make up a large portion of the VOA workforce, especially in non-English language services. Full-time staff, with greater legal protections, remain on administrative leave and have been instructed not to work.
Founded during World War II, VOA broadcasts in 49 languages with a mission to reach audiences in countries where media freedom is limited. Trump signed an executive order on Friday targeting VOA’s parent organization, the US Agency for Global Media, as part of broader cuts to the federal government. In 2023, the agency employed 3,384 people and requested $950 million for the current fiscal year.
Due to these cuts, some VOA services have been reduced to playing music, as no new programming is available. Additionally, US-funded outlets such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio Farda, and Alhurra are being similarly impacted.
The White House defended the cuts on Saturday, claiming that “taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda,” a term seldom used to describe VOA, which has long been focused on countering communist narratives.
These cuts come as China and Russia continue investing in state-run media to challenge Western narratives, with China offering free content to media outlets in developing countries. China’s state-run Global Times editorialized that the dominance of Western media is being challenged as Americans increasingly see a broader, more nuanced view of the world.
AFP
