Trump Shuts Down 82-Year-Old Media Giant VOA

Despite significant investment, media organizations that are said to have not achieved the desired efficiency are set to be shut down.

Multiple workers at Voice of America, an international media broadcaster that operates in more than 40 languages, shared with Reuters an email thaThe emails, sent by a human resources executive at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the VOA’s parent agency, instructed them not to enter their work premises or access internal systems.
It was not immediately clear how many employees were placed on leave.
The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) also terminated funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts to countries in Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, as well as for Radio Free Asia, which broadcasts to China and North Korea, according to letters seen by Reuters.

Employees at Voice of America (VOA) were placed on paid leave Saturday following significant funding cuts to two U.S. news services that broadcast to authoritarian regimes. The cuts came just one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order restructuring the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the government-funded organization that oversees VOA and several other federal agencies.

Employees Ordered to Return Badges, Log Out of Systems

In an internal email, USAGM employees were instructed to turn in their identification badges, press passes, and any government-issued equipment. Those placed on leave were also barred from entering agency buildings or accessing internal systems, though they were told to remain on call.

The sudden changes signal a major shift in U.S. international broadcasting, raising concerns about the future of government-funded media outlets and their role in countering disinformation in restrictive regimes.