Radio Free Asia says it will fully shut down by end of April without court intervention
ReutersMAR 19
Radio Free Asia Files Complaint to Halt Funding Cuts
Above: An employee of Radio Free Asia from Tibet, Sonam Singeri, speaks during a news conference outside of federal court in New York on March 24, 2025. Image copyright: Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Radio Free Asia and other US-funded news outlets such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty have proven themselves crucial to countering propaganda from authoritarian regimes around the world. Hard power matters, but so does soft power. When compared to their value in today's battle of narratives, the financial costs of these outlets are insignificant.
Establishment-critical narrative
These purported independent media outlets have become outdated and ineffective institutions that waste substantial amounts of US taxpayers' money while serving as propaganda tools to disseminate globalist narratives. It's no wonder that Trump is pushing to close them as they are no longer in the best interest of the United States.