Media

Trump Dismantles VOA, Sparks Concerns Over Press Freedom

Published MAR 17 2025

Story

Above: Signage for US broadcaster Voice of America is seen in Washington, DC, on March 16, 2025. Image credit: Bonnie Cash/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

US Pres. Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order eliminating seven federal agencies, including the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees Voice of America and other international broadcasting services.
Guardian
Washingtontimes
Voice of America, founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, reaches approximately 360M people weekly in almost 50 languages, operating with an $886M budget in 2024 and employing roughly 3.5K workers through USAGM.
The Telegraph
Al Jazeera
Reuters
The administration terminated contracts with major news services including Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse, while placing VOA employees on administrative leave, although they were not immediately terminated.
ap
Breitbart
Kari Lake, a Trump loyalist appointed as senior advisor to USAGM, estimated the termination of wire service contracts would save $53M and stated that taxpayers should not pay external organizations to provide news content.
ap
FOX News
Trump's order also affects Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and other government-funded media outlets that broadcast to countries with restricted press freedom and were also originally set up to counter communism.
Breitbart
Al Jazeera
BBC News
The White House justified the move by stating the order would ensure taxpayers are no longer funding what they termed radical propaganda, while simultaneously implementing new controls over White House press pool access.
The Telegraph
Guardian

Sources Split

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RIGHT

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CRIT

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PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Founded during the Cold War, Voice of America has long served as a propaganda tool rather than an independent media outlet. Consistently distorting global realities and spreading falsehoods, especially about China, VOA has wasted billions in taxpayer money on outdated narratives that few still believe. Its defunding represents an overdue correction in America's information strategy.

Global Times

The Kyiv Independent

Narrative B

President Trump's defunding of Voice of America and other US-backed media outlets silences crucial voices for truth in regions dominated by authoritarian regimes. This dismantling of institutions that have served as beacons of democracy for decades hands an unexpected victory to America's adversaries, potentially damaging US global influence and credibility.

Politico