March 16, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order suspending the operations of Voice of America (VOA) and two other government-funded news agencies, placing 1,300 employees on leave.
Michael Abramowitz, the director of VOA, confirmed that nearly 1,300 employees—including journalists, producers, and technical staff—have been furloughed, severely impacting the broadcaster’s operations.
Under Trump’s executive order, funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia has also been terminated.
It is worth noting that VOA was established in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda and now reaches 360 million people weekly. The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, employs approximately 3,500 workers and had an annual budget of $886 million in 2024.
