Thomas McIntosh and Merlin Thomas
BBC News
Getty Images
American Voice of America was released in 1942 with an order to fight Nazis and Japanese propaganda
Donald Trump has signed an executive order to reclaim the global, independence and federally funded news organization Voice of America.
The President’s orders cover VOA’s parent company, US Global Media, or USAGM. It also funds nonprofit organizations such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, originally established to counter Communism.
We also ask the heads of these agencies to “reduce performance to the minimum presence and function required by law.”
VOA director Mike Abramowitz said he and virtually all 1,300 staff members had taken paid leave.
Abramowitz said the order led the VoA to “a critical mission… a particularly important mission… a particularly important mission… today, when the US enemies are creating false stories for Iran, China, Russia and others to sink billions of dollars to trust the United States.”
There is no explanation from the Trump administration, and it is not yet clear whether the stations are completely closed.
CBS, a news partner for the US BBC, said VOA employees were notified via email from Crystal Thomas, head of human resources at USAGM.
Sources told CBS that all freelance workers and international contractors were told they had no money to pay.
The email obtained by CBS informed the bosses of Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that the federal grants have ended.
VOA and other stations under USAGM are roughly equivalent to BBC World Services, which serves more than 400,000 listeners and is partially funded by the UK government.
Elon Musk, Trump’s unelected advisor who cuts down government divisions, is calling for the use of social media platform X to shut down VOA.
The US President has also cut funding to several other federal agencies, including those responsible for preventing homelessness and funding museums and libraries.
Trump was extremely critical of the VOA during his first term. He recently appointed Staunch’s loyalist Kari Lake as special advisor to the US global media agency.
The president regularly states that mainstream media is biased against him. During his speech to the Department of Justice, he called CNN and MSNBC “corruption” and “illegal” without providing evidence.
Voice of America was launched in 1942. This was an obligation to fight Nazis and Japanese propaganda. The first broadcast, made on a transmitter loaned to the US by the BBC, said it was a modest purpose.
Former President Gerald Ford signed the VOA’s public charter in 1976 to protect the editorial independence.
By 1994, the Broadcasting Committee, which oversaw non-military broadcasting, was established.
In 2013, a change in law allowed VOA and its affiliates to begin broadcasting in the US.
