The Trump administration initiated widespread layoffs at Voice of America (VOA) and other U.S.-funded media outlets on Sunday, signaling a significant reduction in government-supported international broadcasting.
Contractual employees at VOA were informed via email that their positions would be terminated by the end of March. The email instructed them to cease all work immediately and barred them from accessing agency facilities or systems. This decision disproportionately affects contractors, who constitute a large portion of VOA's workforce, especially in non-English language services.
Many of these contractors are non-U.S. citizens, leaving their immigration status uncertain as their employment ends. Full-time staff members, who enjoy greater legal protections, were placed on administrative leave but were not immediately terminated.
VOA, established during World War II, broadcasts in 49 languages to regions lacking media freedom. Its mission has been to provide accurate and independent news to audiences in countries with restricted press environments.
Liam Scott, a VOA reporter specializing in press freedom and disinformation, expressed concern over the layoffs and described them as part of a broader assault on press freedom under the Trump administration.
The layoffs follow an executive order signed by President Trump targeting the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA and other outlets such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia.
These cuts have frozen operations at several media organizations that serve regions with limited access to independent journalism, including Iran and North Korea. The administration justified the move by stating that taxpayers should not fund what it described as "radical propaganda," though VOA has long maintained editorial independence through a firewall.
Critics argue that these actions undermine U.S. influence abroad at a time when state-sponsored media from nations like China and Russia are expanding their global reach.
