Trump Initiates Shutdown of Voice of America
Donald Trump has issued a directive aimed at curtailing the operations of the government-funded news agency, Voice of America (VOA), accusing it of bias against him and promoting radical views. A proclamation from the White House stated that the directive was intended to "protect taxpayers from financing radical propaganda". The statement also included remarks from politicians and conservative media criticizing the perceived leftist and partisan nature of VOA.
Established during World War Two as a primary radio service to counteract Nazi propaganda, VOA now reaches hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Mike Abramowitz, the director of VOA, revealed that he and almost his entire staff of 1,300 have been placed on paid leave. Abramowitz expressed concern that the directive would severely hinder VOA's ability to counteract false narratives propagated by America's opponents, such as Iran, China, and Russia, who invest heavily in misleading information to undermine the United States.
Trump's directive also impacts VOA's parent organization, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which financially supports non-profit institutions like Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, originally established to counter communism. The directive calls for a drastic reduction in operations to the bare minimum required by law.
CBS, the BBC's news affiliate in the US, reported that VOA employees were informed of the changes via email by Crystal Thomas, the USAGM human resources director. CBS sources revealed that all freelance workers and international contractors were notified that there were no funds available to pay them. CBS also obtained emails indicating that federal grants for Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty had been discontinued.
VOA and other entities under USAGM collectively serve over 400 million listeners, comparable to the BBC World Service, which is partially funded by the UK government.
Billionaire Elon Musk, a prominent advisor to Trump and advocate for government cutbacks, has used his social platform to advocate for the closure of VOA. In addition, Trump has also reduced funding for other federal agencies, including those focused on preventing homelessness and supporting museums and libraries.
Trump, a vocal critic of VOA, recently appointed his staunch supporter, Kari Lake, as a special advisor for the US Agency for Global Media. Frequently, Trump accuses mainstream media of bias against him, branding CNN and MSNBC as "corrupt" and "illegal" during a justice department speech, without offering substantiating evidence.
The White House statement contained links to various articles and commentaries from conservative media outlets alleging bias at VOA. It quoted a piece penned by Dan Robinson, a former White House correspondent for VOA, for the right-leaning Washington Times, in which he accused the organization of developing into an arrogant operation often showcasing a leftist slant.
The statement linked to other articles accusing VOA managers of instructing staff not to label Hamas a "terrorist organization" and to downplay negative reports about Iran. Additional links pointed to routine coverage of the 2020 US election, claiming it favored Trump's opponent, Joe Biden.
Voice of America, established in 1942 with a mission to counter Nazi and Japanese propaganda, began with a humble objective. Its public charter, signed by former President Gerald Ford in 1976, aimed to ensure its editorial independence. The Broadcast Board of Governors, overseeing non-military broadcasting, was instituted in 1994, and in 2013, a change in law permitted VOA and its affiliates to start broadcasting within the US.