On Sunday, President Donald Trump's administration began implementing significant layoffs at Voice of America (VOA) and other U.S.-funded media outlets, signaling a determined effort to reshape these institutions, which have long played a pivotal role in U.S. global influence.


Just a day after all employees were put on administrative leave, contractors received emails informing them of their termination effective at the end of March. The email, confirmed by multiple sources, stated: “You must cease all work immediately and are not permitted to access any agency buildings or systems.”


In many cases, these contractors constitute a large portion of VOA’s workforce, especially in non-English language services. Many of them are not U.S. citizens and may rely on their soon-to-be-lost positions for visa support to remain in the United States.


While most full-time employees at VOA remain on administrative leave with legal protections—thus not immediately terminated—Liam Scott, a VOA reporter focused on press freedom and disinformation, reported that he, too, has been informed of his dismissal as of March 31. He characterized the administration’s actions as part of a broader strategy to dismantle government agencies and an assault on press freedom.


With VOA's programming in a state of uncertainty, some channels have temporarily resorted to broadcasting music due to a shortage of new content.


Major Cuts Authorized


On Friday, Trump signed an executive order targeting the parent organization of VOA, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which had a workforce of 3,384 employees and requested $950 million for the current fiscal year. The cuts extend to other essential outlets such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, both of which were established during the Cold War to provide critical news to regions with restricted media.


Also affected are Radio Farda, which broadcasts in Persian and faces government censorship in Iran, and Alhurra, founded to counter the coverage of Al-Jazeera following the Iraq invasion.


In a statement on Saturday, the White House claimed that “taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda,” a criticism that had rarely been directed at the traditionally staid VOA aimed at countering communism.


Trump has frequently criticized media coverage and questioned the necessity of funding VOA, highlighting its editorial independence. With backing from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, Trump aims to significantly reduce the size of the government to facilitate tax cuts. His administration has already curtailed foreign development assistance and targeted funding for the Education Department.


These strategic cuts come as China and Russia heavily invest in state-sponsored media to challenge Western narratives, with China often supplying free content to media outlets in developing nations. 


An editorial from China’s state-run Global Times remarked on the situation, stating that the dominance of traditional Western media narratives is weakening and that perspectives from platforms like VOA will eventually appear outdated.


In these rapidly shifting media dynamics, the role of U.S. government-funded outlets like VOA remains squarely at the center of an ongoing national and international conversation about press freedom and information dissemination.