Trump commences mass layoffs at Voice of America
On Sunday, the administration of President Donald Trump initiated widespread layoffs at Voice of America and other media outlets funded by the U.S. government, signaling a clear intention to diminish organizations that have long been regarded as vital for American influence.
Just one day after all employees were placed on leave, those working under contract received an email informing them of their termination effective at the end of March.
This email, which was verified by multiple employees to AFP, instructed contractors to "cease all work immediately and are not permitted to access any agency buildings or systems."
Contractors constitute a significant portion of VOA's workforce and are particularly prevalent in the non-English language services, although current statistics are not readily available.
Many of these contractors are non-U.S. citizens, suggesting that they may rely on their soon-to-be-eliminated positions for visas to remain in the United States.
Full-time staff at VOA, who enjoy greater legal protections, have not been immediately dismissed but are currently on administrative leave and have been instructed not to perform any work.
Established during World War II, Voice of America broadcasts globally in 49 languages, aiming to reach audiences in countries lacking media freedom.
On Friday, Trump signed an executive order aimed at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, as part of his broader initiative to implement significant cuts within the federal government.
In the 2023 fiscal year, the agency employed 3,384 individuals and had requested a budget of $950 million for the current fiscal year.
With the future of the Voice of America (VOA) uncertain, several of its services have resorted to broadcasting music due to the absence of new programming.
The extensive budget cuts have also impacted Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which was established during the Cold War to serve the former Soviet bloc, as well as Radio Free Asia, created to deliver news to China, North Korea, and other Asian nations with heavily censored media.
Other U.S.-funded entities facing significant reductions include Radio Farda, a Persian-language station that is blocked by the Iranian government, and Alhurra, an Arabic-language network launched following the Iraq invasion in response to the critical coverage from Qatar-based Al-Jazeera.
In a statement released on Saturday, the White House asserted that “taxpayers are no longer responsible for funding radical propaganda,” a claim that was seldom made prior to Trump's administration regarding the traditionally stable VOA, which has long focused on countering communism.
Trump frequently critiques media portrayals of himself and has questioned the rationale behind funding VOA, which operates under a “firewall” to maintain its editorial independence.
These budget cuts occur as China and Russia significantly invest in their state media to challenge Western narratives, with China often providing free content to media outlets in developing countries.
In an editorial discussing the decline of VOA, China's state-run Global Times remarked that “the monopoly of information held by certain traditional Western media is being dismantled.”
“As more Americans begin to escape their information bubbles and recognize a more nuanced reality of China, the negative narratives propagated by VOA will ultimately be regarded as outdated,” it stated.
