The Trump administration suspended staff from Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia, and other US-funded media outlets on Saturday, abruptly halting the activities of organisations seen as democratic counterweights in countries like China and Russia.
Hundreds of journalists and other employees of VOA, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe, and other bodies received emails this weekend informing them they would be barred from their offices. They were also ordered to return their press cards, work phones, and other equipment.
The announcement, criticised by press freedom organisations, followed a decree from President Donald Trump classifying the agency overseeing these media, USAGM, as an “unnecessary element of the federal bureaucracy.”
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On X (formerly Twitter), a White House press attaché wrote “goodbye” in 20 different languages, ironically accompanying the announcement. Voice of America operates in many countries, reaching a weekly audience of 350 million people, according to USAGM figures.
The head of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which began broadcasting within the Soviet bloc during the Cold War, described the funding cut as a “massive gift to America’s enemies.”
“Iranian ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk must be pleased with the disappearance of RFE/RL after 75 years,” stated Stephen Capus, the director, in a press release.
Radio Free Asia, established in 1996, aims to deliver uncensored reporting in countries with restricted media freedom, including China, Myanmar, North Korea, and Vietnam.
