U.S. President Donald Trump's push for federal government restructuring has led Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) to completely suspend new broadcasts as of Jan. 15 (local time). VOA and RFA are government-funded media that have provided information to regions under authoritarian regimes, such as North Korea, and have spread American ideology worldwide.
According to the White House, President Trump recently signed an executive order to reduce the size of the federal government, which includes plans to minimize the functions and personnel of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). USAGM is an independent government agency that oversees overseas media organizations including VOA, RFA, and Radio Free Europe (RFE).
VOA and RFA have served to inform the international community about inside news from countries like North Korea and China, where the press is controlled, and relay American positions and international news to these countries. Of these, VOA is a media organization that President Trump frequently expressed dissatisfaction with during his first term.
Due to government budget cuts, VOA has found itself in a position where it may have to close its doors. Michael Abbruzzese, director general of VOA, stated in a LinkedIn post on Jan. 15 that most of the 1,300 VOA employees, including reporters, producers, and support staff, had been placed on leave that day.
He noted, "It is very sad that VOA, which has informed those living under dictatorship about the American story and provided objective and balanced news and information to promote freedom and democracy worldwide, has been silenced after 83 years." According to Reuters, William Gallo, head of the VOA Seoul bureau, revealed on Jan. 16 that he had been blocked from all company systems and accounts.
On that day, VOA's Korean website posted a notice stating, "Due to circumstances at the VOA broadcast station, we would like to inform you that Korean service broadcasts and web and social media updates are not being conducted normally."
According to foreign news reports, VOA was established in 1942 to counter the propaganda activities of the Nazi regime in Germany. It has since expanded its reach and now provides news in 48 languages to a population of 360 million every week. RFA has also served to inform the international community about inside news from countries like North Korea and China, where the press is controlled, and relay American positions and international news to these countries.
USAGM, which cut the budgets for the two media organizations, has appointed Carrie Lake, a hardline right-wing politician close to President Trump, as a special advisor. He said in a statement, "I fully support the president's executive order. This organization has been riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse, and should not be funded by American taxpayers." He claimed that spies and supporters of terrorists have infiltrated USAGM and that USAGM has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on fake news corporations.
According to Reuters, Mike Balsamo, president of the National Press Club (NPC) in Washington, D.C., stated in a statement, "VOA has provided fact-based independent journalism to global audiences for decades, and this work has often taken place in places where press freedom does not exist." Reporters Without Borders also asserted that this move threatens "over 80 years of American history that has supported the free flow of information and press freedom globally."