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Trump signs order to gut staff at Voice of America, other US-funded media organizations


Published on 2025-03-17 08:01:04 - PennLive
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  • On Friday night, shortly after Congress passed its latest funding bill, Trump directed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the minimum required by law. That included the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which houses Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia and Radio Marti, which beams Spanish-language news into Cuba.

The article from PennLive discusses a significant decision by former President Donald Trump in 2020 to drastically reduce the staff at Voice of America (VOA) and other U.S.-funded international media organizations. Trump signed an executive order that aimed to cut the workforce by nearly half, affecting entities like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. This move was part of a broader effort to reorganize and streamline these media outlets under a new agency called the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). Critics argued that this could undermine the independence and credibility of these news organizations, which are crucial for providing unbiased news to regions where press freedom is limited. The order was met with resistance from within the organizations and raised concerns about the potential politicization of these media outlets.

Read the Full PennLive Article at:
[ https://www.pennlive.com/politics/2025/03/trump-signs-order-to-gut-staff-at-voice-of-america-other-us-funded-media-organizations.html ]