The Trump administration has initiated sweeping layoffs at Voice of America (VOA) and other U.S.-funded media outlets, signaling a dramatic shift in America’s global information strategy. The move, which took effect on Sunday, has left many journalists and contractors abruptly unemployed, casting uncertainty over the future of these media organizations long considered essential to U.S. influence abroad.
The layoffs came just a day after all employees were placed on administrative leave. Contracted workers, who constitute a significant portion of VOA’s workforce, received an email notifying them of their immediate termination, effective March 31. The message also barred them from accessing agency facilities and systems. Many of these contractors are foreign nationals who may now face visa issues as a result of their job losses.
Full-time employees, while not immediately dismissed, remain in professional limbo as they have been instructed not to work. As a result, VOA services in various languages have struggled to produce fresh content, with some resorting to broadcasting music in the absence of new programming.
The layoffs are part of broader budgetary reductions targeting the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), VOA’s parent organization. The agency had over 3,300 employees in the 2023 fiscal year and had requested $950 million for 2024. However, President Trump’s recent executive order slashes funding and effectively freezes operations at VOA and its sister networks, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, both of which have historically provided independent reporting to regions with restricted press freedom.
The administration has framed these cuts as a taxpayer relief measure, labeling VOA as an outdated institution propagating “radical propaganda.” Trump, with input from tech billionaire Elon Musk, has focused on reducing the federal workforce to enable tax cuts. This move follows his administration’s drastic reductions in foreign aid and efforts to dismantle the Department of Education.
The shutdown of VOA and its affiliates comes at a time when rivals like China and Russia are ramping up their state-sponsored media efforts. Beijing has invested heavily in global news networks, often providing free content to developing countries, while Russia continues to push its narratives through RT and Sputnik.
As critics denounce the decision as a major blow to U.S. soft power, China’s state-run Global Times took the opportunity to celebrate the decline of VOA, calling its narratives “a laughingstock of the times.” The future of U.S. international broadcasting now remains uncertain as global media competition intensifies.
