Nearly all Voice of America (VOA) staff members have been placed on leave after United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order gutting the government-run news agency.
On Friday night, Trump ordered his administration to reduce several agencies to the minimum required by law under an order titled “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy”.
The decision affected the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), housing Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia, and Radio Marti, which broadcasts Spanish-language news in Cuba.
The press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders slammed the decision, saying it “threatens press freedom worldwide and negates 80 years of American history in supporting a free flow of information”.
The decision to gut the government-run, pro-democracy news agency comes as Republicans have accused publicly funded media outlets of being biased against conservatives.
In a statement, the White House said Trump’s executive orders “will ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda” before listing criticisms of VOA, including allegations of left-wing bias.
On Saturday morning, Kari Lake, a US Senate candidate whom Trump named a senior adviser to the agency, wrote on X that employees should check their emails.
BREAKING—The President has issued an Executive Order titled Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. It affects USAGM and its outlets VOA and OCB.
If you are an employee of the agency please check your email immediately for more information. https://t.co/JmKMA0rp54
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) March 15, 2025
Source: Reuters.com