The Voice of America (VOA) sign is displayed on its building on March 17, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Trump Admin Termination Notices Spell Effective Closure of Voice of America: Report
The Trump administration already cut hundreds of Voice of America contractors earlier this spring.
Remaining full-time employees at Voice of America, the U.S.-funded international news broadcaster, are anticipating termination notices this week, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing multiple unnamed employees who are familiar with the situation.
The reduction-in-force notices are expected to impact the remaining 800 staff at the agency, likely meaning an end to the network that was founded in 1942 with the aim of combatting Nazi propaganda, per the outlet.
In March, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA and multiple other media outlets, to be wound down "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law." That order impacted several other federal agencies and entities as well, like the Minority Business Development Agency.
Then, earlier this month, nearly 600 VOA contractors received termination notices from USAGM, leaving the roughly 800 remaining workers.
VOA and its four sister networks had a combined audience of 420 million people in 63 languages and over 100 countries, "often in some of the world's most restrictive media environments," according to information posted to the USAGM's website in connection to its fiscal year 2025 budget request.
Multiple VOA workers and their unions sued the Trump administration following the executive order, arguing that USAGM violated both the freedom of journalists and separation of powers, and that the agency has failed to fulfill its statutorily required functions. A federal appeals court dealt a blow to their legal bid when it indicated last week it would not intervene in the case for now.
FINAL DAY! This is urgent.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just hours left in our Spring Campaign, we're still falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Remaining full-time employees at Voice of America, the U.S.-funded international news broadcaster, are anticipating termination notices this week, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing multiple unnamed employees who are familiar with the situation.
The reduction-in-force notices are expected to impact the remaining 800 staff at the agency, likely meaning an end to the network that was founded in 1942 with the aim of combatting Nazi propaganda, per the outlet.
In March, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA and multiple other media outlets, to be wound down "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law." That order impacted several other federal agencies and entities as well, like the Minority Business Development Agency.
Then, earlier this month, nearly 600 VOA contractors received termination notices from USAGM, leaving the roughly 800 remaining workers.
VOA and its four sister networks had a combined audience of 420 million people in 63 languages and over 100 countries, "often in some of the world's most restrictive media environments," according to information posted to the USAGM's website in connection to its fiscal year 2025 budget request.
Multiple VOA workers and their unions sued the Trump administration following the executive order, arguing that USAGM violated both the freedom of journalists and separation of powers, and that the agency has failed to fulfill its statutorily required functions. A federal appeals court dealt a blow to their legal bid when it indicated last week it would not intervene in the case for now.
Remaining full-time employees at Voice of America, the U.S.-funded international news broadcaster, are anticipating termination notices this week, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing multiple unnamed employees who are familiar with the situation.
The reduction-in-force notices are expected to impact the remaining 800 staff at the agency, likely meaning an end to the network that was founded in 1942 with the aim of combatting Nazi propaganda, per the outlet.
In March, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA and multiple other media outlets, to be wound down "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law." That order impacted several other federal agencies and entities as well, like the Minority Business Development Agency.
Then, earlier this month, nearly 600 VOA contractors received termination notices from USAGM, leaving the roughly 800 remaining workers.
VOA and its four sister networks had a combined audience of 420 million people in 63 languages and over 100 countries, "often in some of the world's most restrictive media environments," according to information posted to the USAGM's website in connection to its fiscal year 2025 budget request.
Multiple VOA workers and their unions sued the Trump administration following the executive order, arguing that USAGM violated both the freedom of journalists and separation of powers, and that the agency has failed to fulfill its statutorily required functions. A federal appeals court dealt a blow to their legal bid when it indicated last week it would not intervene in the case for now.