The Voice of America (VOA), a globally renowned news organization funded by the US government, is facing an uncertain future after receiving a death blow from the Trump administration. Layoff notices were sent to 639 employees, effectively shutting down the outlet that has provided news to countries around the world since World War II. This move brings the total number of job losses at VOA and the US Agency for Global Media to around 1,400, or 85% of its workforce, since March.
Kari Lake, Trump’s senior adviser to the agency, defended the decision, stating that it was part of a “long overdue effort to dismantle a bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy”. Lake claimed that American taxpayers have been forced to bankroll an agency riddled with dysfunction, bias, and waste. “For decades, American taxpayers have been forced to bankroll an agency that’s been riddled with dysfunction, bias and waste,” Lake said in a news release. “That ends now.”
The sudden layoffs have sparked widespread concern about the future of independent journalism. Three VOA employees fighting the administration’s dismantling of VOA in court were among those receiving layoff notices on Friday. “It spells the death of 83 years of independent journalism that upholds US ideals of democracy and freedom around the world,” plaintiffs Jessica Jerreat, Kate Neeper, and Patsy Widakuswara said in a statement.
Steve Herman, VOA’s chief national correspondent, described the layoffs as an “historic act of self-sabotage with the US government completing the silencing of its most effective soft-power weapon”. Herman expressed doubts about VOA’s survival, even if a Democratic president and Congress take over, citing the loss of audience and momentum during the shutdown. “I believe that the destruction is permanent,” Herman said, “because we see no indication in the next fiscal year that Congress will rally to fund VOA.” By the time another administration takes power that is more sympathetic to the outlet, “I fear that VOA will have become forgotten,” he added.
The controversy surrounding VOA’s future comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran. President Donald Trump has been vocal about his stance on Iran’s nuclear program, repeatedly stating that Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple — you don’t have to go too deep into it. They just can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said recently. This stance has been consistent throughout his presidency and campaign trail, with Trump making similar pledges over 40 times.
The shutdown of VOA has significant implications for global journalism and the dissemination of unbiased information. As a major source of news in countries without a tradition of free press, VOA’s closure will likely create a void that may be filled by less reliable sources. The Trump administration’s decision has sparked alarm among media freedom advocates, who see this as a blow to independent journalism and the US’s soft power globally.