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The Voice of America (VOA) sign is displayed on its building on March 17, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
(Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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.
May 28, 2025
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.
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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.
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