Trump halts US-funded media outlets, including Voice of America.

WASHINGTON, March 16 — The Trump administration has put journalists at Voice of America (VOA) and other US-funded broadcasters on leave, effectively shutting down decades-old outlets that counter Russian and Chinese propaganda.

Hundreds of staffers at VOA, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Europe were told to surrender press passes and office equipment. Trump’s executive order labeled the US Agency for Global Media “unnecessary,” marking a dramatic shift in US public diplomacy.

Kari Lake, a Trump ally now leading the agency, justified the move by stating that federal grants “no longer effectuate agency priorities.” The White House framed the cuts as ending taxpayer funding for “radical propaganda.”

The decision sparked outrage. VOA director Michael Abramowitz warned the freeze would cripple the network, which reaches 360 million people in 48 languages. Radio Free Europe’s chief called it a “massive gift” to US adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran.

Advocacy groups condemned the shutdown, with Reporters Without Borders calling it a threat to press freedom. Congress, which controls funding, may challenge the cuts, as Radio Free Asia has enjoyed bipartisan support. Meanwhile, employees fear for their jobs and, in some cases, their safety.

“This is chaos,” one staffer said. “Wiping us out with the stroke of a pen is just terrible.” — AFP