Donald Trump has signed an executive order to drastically scale back the United States’ international news organisation Voice of America.
A statement issued by The White House titled The Voice of Radical America said the move was designed to “ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda”.
Over 1,300 journalists working for VOA have been put on administrative leave.
The order targets VOA’s parent company US Agency for Global Media, or USAGM, which in addition to radio service VOA also funds non-profit entities such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia and the TV service Current Time.
VOA director Mike Abramowitz, himself also now on administrative leave, said the organisation was being silenced for the first time in 80 years.
“VOA needs thoughtful reform, and we have made progress in that regard. But today’s action will leave Voice of America unable to carry out its vital mission. That mission is especially critical today, when America’s adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States.
“VOA promotes freedom and democracy around the world by telling America’s story and by providing objective and balanced news and information, especially for those living under tyranny. Even if the agency survives in some form, the actions being taken today by the Administration will severely damage Voice of America’s ability to foster a world that is safe and free and in doing so is failing to protect US interests.”
The bosses of Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty have also been informed that their federal grants had been terminated.
Commenting on the developments, Simon Spanswick, chief executive of the Association for International Broadcasting, said: “At a time when the world is looking to the US to be global player for peace and freedom, cutting funding for US international media – one of the main instruments underpinning this goal – seems the wrong direction to take.”
During his first term, Trump was highly critical of VOA, and has been joined by adviser Elon Musk who has taken to his social media platform X to call for VOA to be shut down.
The White House statement quoted several right-wing media organisations and commentators as justification for its actions.
These included a Daily Caller report stating: “Multiple Voice of America (VOA) reporters have repeatedly posted anti-Trump comments on their professional Twitter accounts, despite a social media policy requiring employee impartiality on social media platforms.”
It also quoted Rep. Scott Perry, who wrote in 2022 letter that Voice of America has “grown exceedingly partisan over the past several years.”
President Trump regularly calls out so-called mainstream media for being biased against him. CNN and MSNBC were described as “corrupt and Illegal” during a speech at the justice department.
