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Trump Administration Lays Off Voice Of America Staff
By Benjamin Abioye
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has begun widespread layoffs at Voice of America (VOA) and other government-funded media organizations.
The decision, announced on Sunday, signals an effort to significantly reduce the operations of these outlets, which have long been considered vital tools for American influence abroad.
Shortly after placing all employees on leave, contract staff received an email informing them of their termination by the end of March. The message, which several employees confirmed to AFP, instructed them to stop working immediately and barred them from entering agency buildings or systems. Contractors, who make up a large portion of VOA’s workforce—especially in its foreign-language services—are particularly affected, with many facing visa uncertainties as their jobs disappear.
Most full-time employees, who have stronger legal protections, were not immediately dismissed but were placed on administrative leave and instructed not to work. VOA, which has been broadcasting in multiple languages since World War II, aims to provide accurate news to countries with limited media freedom. However, with the layoffs in effect, some VOA services have resorted to playing music due to a lack of new content.
Liam Scott, a VOA journalist covering press freedom, confirmed his dismissal, effective March 31. Expressing his concerns, he stated, “The Trump administration’s destruction of VOA and its affiliates is part of a broader effort to dismantle the government and an attack on press freedom.” He also noted that the developments in the U.S. in recent months were unprecedented in his experience covering media rights.
Trump further signed an executive order on Friday targeting the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), VOA’s parent organization, as part of broader government budget cuts. The agency, which employed over 3,000 staff in 2023 and requested $950 million in funding for the current fiscal year, now faces deep reductions.
The cuts have also frozen operations at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty—originally established to counter Soviet propaganda during the Cold War—and Radio Free Asia, which provides independent news to China, North Korea, and other countries with restricted press freedoms. Other affected organizations include Radio Farda, which broadcasts in Persian and is often blocked by Iran, and Alhurra, an Arabic-language channel set up after the Iraq invasion to compete with networks like Al Jazeera.
Defending the decision, the White House stated that “taxpayers are no longer funding radical propaganda,” a claim rarely directed at VOA before Trump’s tenure. The former president has often criticized the media and questioned the need to finance VOA, which maintains editorial independence through a “firewall” separating it from government influence.
Trump, guided by billionaire Elon Musk, has made downsizing the federal government a key priority, arguing that such cuts will pave the way for tax reductions. His administration has already slashed most foreign aid programs and taken steps to weaken the Department of Education.
Meanwhile, China and Russia have increased investments in state-controlled media, strengthening their global influence. Chinese state media, for example, frequently provides free content to news outlets in developing nations, expanding its reach.
In response to VOA’s struggles, China’s Global Times ran an editorial suggesting that Western media’s dominance over global information is collapsing. It stated, “As more Americans break free from their information bubbles and see a multidimensional China, the negative portrayals by VOA will eventually become a historical joke.”
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