Trump orders layoffs at Voice of America, other media outlets
What's the story
The Trump administration has started major layoffs at the Voice of America (VOA) and other US-backed media outlets.
The cuts mainly affect the US Agency for Global Media, hitting many contractors who are mostly non-US citizens.
The job losses have affected several language services provided by these organizations, with an email confirming their termination effective at the end of March.
Work suspension
Email confirms immediate cessation of work
The email, confirmed to AFP by several employees, read, "You must cease all work immediately and are not permitted to access any agency buildings or systems."
The move comes just a day after all employees were put on leave.
While most full-time VOA staffers haven't been terminated due to their legal protections, they remain on administrative leave and have been instructed not to work.
Broadcasting history
A global broadcaster since WWII
Founded during World War II, VOA broadcasts in 49 languages around the world, targeting countries with limited media freedom.
Liam Scott, a VOA reporter who covered press freedom and disinformation, announced his dismissal, effective March 31.
He condemned the Trump administration's moves against VOA and its sister outlets as part of a larger assault on press freedom and media.
Executive action
Trump's executive order targets US agency for global media
Trump signed an executive order targeting the parent organization of VOA, the US Agency for Global Media.
The agency had 3,384 employees in fiscal year 2023 and had requested a budget of $950 million for the current fiscal year.
The cuts also froze Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia, both established to provide news coverage to regions with heavily restricted media access.
Media impact
Other US-funded outlets also face cuts
Other US-backed outlets facing cuts include Radio Farda, a banned Persian-language broadcaster by Iran's government, and Alhurra, an Arabic-language network founded after the Iraq invasion.
The White House said "taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda," something rarely said about VOA which has long targeted communism.
These moves come as China and Russia heavily invest in state media to counter Western narratives.