Kari Lake follows through on Trump order, axes most of Voice of Americas staff
CNN1 day
Voice of America Lays Off 639 Employees in Major Downsizing
Above: The Voice of America (VOA) logo appears on a mobile phone with the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) visible in the background. Image copyright: Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Kari Lake's layoffs are gutting one of the country's most vital tools for countering Chinese and Russian propaganda, thus weakening U.S. influence abroad. With its staff now a shell of its former self, VOA's reach to 360M weekly listeners, especially in Africa and China, is crippled. This clearly emboldens adversaries who will now fill the media vacuum to undermine America's global voice of hope.
Pro-Trump narrative
Kari Lake's layoffs at VOA are a bold strike against a corrupt U.S. propaganda machine that’s long betrayed American values. USAGM, once a Cold War tool, now pushes anti-American narratives, censoring dissent and colluding with tech giants. Cutting VOA’s bloated staff dismantles this rogue agency, curbing its ability to manipulate and harm Americans' interests.
Cynical narrative
Whether traditional state media like VOA disappears or not, governments and Big Tech have already shifted their propaganda to social media, crafting narratives to control public perception. This state-tech alliance prioritizes censorship and surveillance over truth, using algorithms and influence to suppress dissent and shape opinions more than Cold War-era media.
Editor's Note
This story currently has limited reporting from right-wing sources. We will continue to monitor all major outlets and update our coverage as additional perspectives become available.