Washington D.C. — In a surprising move, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has placed journalists at Voice of America (VOA) and other U.S.-funded broadcasters on leave. This decision furthers Trump’s efforts to reduce the size of federal agencies.
Over the weekend, hundreds of reporters and staff members at VOA, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe, and other outlets received emails informing them that they would be barred from their offices. They were instructed to surrender press passes, office-issued phones, and other equipment.
On Friday, Trump issued an executive order listing the U.S. Agency for Global Media as one of the federal entities he deemed unnecessary. This agency oversees several international broadcasters that promote American values and perspectives abroad.
Kari Lake, a Trump supporter and former Arizona news anchor who was appointed head of the media agency after her unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid, communicated to the media outlets that federal grants “no longer effectuate agency priorities.”
Adding to the tension, White House press official Harrison Fields posted “goodbye” in 20 different languages on social media platform X, seemingly mocking VOA’s multilingual services.
These developments raise questions about the future of U.S.-funded international broadcasting and its role in global media.
