US President Donald Trump has directed sweeping funding cuts to several US-backed international media organisations, including Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio Free Europe.
The move has sparked criticism from press freedom advocates and lawmakers who warn it could damage US influence abroad and embolden authoritarian regimes.
The cuts follow the passage of Congress’s latest funding bill on 15 March 2025, after which Trump’s administration ordered multiple government agencies to be reduced to their legally mandated minimum functions.
This included the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees these broadcasters.
As a result, nearly 1,300 VOA staff members have been placed on administrative leave. VOA Director Michael Abramowitz called it an unprecedented moment in the network’s 83-year history.
“For the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” Abramowitz said, warning that millions of people in repressive regimes rely on VOA for accurate reporting.
Immediate impact and response
At 9:43 am on Saturday, 15 March, Crystal G. Thomas, Director of the Office of Human Resources at USAGM, sent an email to VOA employees informing them they were placed on administrative leave. The announcement effectively halted all news production, as all permanent staff, including agency leaders, were ordered to stop working immediately.
Press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) strongly condemned the decision, calling it a departure from the US’s historic role in defending free information.
“RSF expresses deep concern over this decision from the Trump administration, a move that threatens press freedom worldwide and negates 80 years of American history in supporting a free flow of information,” said RSF General Director Thibaut Bruttin.
The organisation urged Congress and the international community to take action, warning that the cuts also endanger USAGM journalists currently detained abroad for their reporting. RSF is working to confirm how these personnel decisions will affect those jailed journalists.
The role of US-funded media
VOA, the largest and oldest of the US international broadcasters, was founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda. Today, it produces digital, television, and radio content in 47 languages, reaching an estimated 350 million people worldwide.
Radio Free Europe, established in 1950, has played a key role in providing news to countries with restricted press freedom, including Russia and Ukraine.
Similarly, Radio Free Asia has broadcast into regions such as China and North Korea, where independent journalism is heavily censored.
【 RFA台长：终止资助RFA是中共的福音】
美国自由亚洲电台（RFA）于美东时间周六（15日）收到美国全球媒体总署（USAGM）的通知，正式终止对 RFA 及其合作媒体网络的联邦资助。… pic.twitter.com/mMjT5TZCO8— 自由亚洲电台 (@RFA_Chinese) March 16, 2025
Collectively, these outlets reach an estimated 427 million people, providing uncensored news to audiences in authoritarian states.
Concerns over US influence and global soft power
The decision to defund USAGM networks has sparked concerns about the diminishing influence of the United States in global affairs. Thomas Kent, an international media ethics consultant, warned that the move leaves the US’s global reputation in the hands of its adversaries.
“Without international broadcasting, the image of the United States and the Trump administration will be in the hands of others, including the administration’s opponents and countries that consider the United States an enemy,” Kent said.
US Representative Ami Bera expressed concerns that the cuts would strengthen China’s ability to control narratives in regions where US-backed media previously played a counterbalancing role.
“Radio Free Asia plays a vital role in countering China’s influence by providing accurate and uncensored news to audiences facing relentless propaganda from the People’s Republic of China,” Bera stated.
He likened the organisation’s work to Radio Free Europe’s efforts against Soviet disinformation during the Cold War. He also pointed out that the cuts undermine efforts to expose human rights violations, such as China’s treatment of Uyghurs.
Elon Musk’s role in the budget reductions
The budget cuts were spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk. DOGE has already proposed eliminating more than 100,000 federal jobs, freezing foreign aid, and cancelling thousands of programs and contracts.
Musk mocked the defunding of USAGM in a post on X, formerly Twitter, stating:
“While winding down this global government propaganda agency, it has temporarily been renamed the Department of Propaganda Everywhere (DOPE).”
Musk has previously called for VOA and Radio Free Europe to be shut down, questioning their necessity and labelling them “government-funded propaganda.” Last month, he publicly advocated for the complete closure of these networks.
Global backlash and press freedom concerns
Hong Kong Media Overseas (HKMO), a press freedom advocacy group, has condemned the Trump administration’s decision, arguing that it will further suppress independent journalism in authoritarian regions.
“VOA and RFA have filled the void in places where mainstream media is silenced. Their forced closure under the Trump administration threatens not only the free flow of information in Hong Kong but globally,” HKMO said in a statement on 16 March 2025.
The group called on Congress to take immediate action to restore funding, warning that independent journalism is under attack.
Reporters Without Borders also raised concerns over the fate of USAGM journalists working in dangerous environments. Ten journalists affiliated with the agency are currently detained abroad, and RSF is working to determine how the funding cuts may impact their safety.
“The actions taken by the Trump administration follow a series of troubling steps and harsh statements questioning the role of USAGM and its branches, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty,” RSF warned.
Further federal agency reductions
In addition to USAGM, Trump’s executive order has targeted several other federal agencies for cuts, including:
- The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
- The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
- The Institute of Museum and Library Services
- The US Interagency Council on Homelessness
- The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
- The Minority Business Development Agency
The White House has stated that these agencies will be reduced to their “minimum presence and function required by law.” However, critics argue that the cuts will significantly weaken US international influence and domestic services.
With the future of VOA, RFA, and other USAGM networks now in question, press freedom advocates and lawmakers continue to push for congressional action to reverse the funding reductions.
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