Substantial Staff Layoff at Voice of America Follows Trump Directive

Voice of America (VOA), a publicly funded broadcasting entity initiated during the Second World War to counter Nazi misinformation, faced an effective closure after an executive order was issued by President Donald Trump.

Michael Abramowitz, director of VOA, announced through social media on Saturday that nearly all of VOA's workforce—which includes over 1,300 reporters, producers, and other staff—has been put on indefinite administrative leave, himself included.

Attempts to obtain a statement from Voice of America representatives were unsuccessful.

Trump Administration's Justification

A release from the Trump administration on Saturday confirmed the closure of VOA, asserting that his executive order from the previous day would relieve taxpayers from sponsoring what was termed as radical propaganda.

The order from President Trump specifically called for the dismantling of governmental bodies deemed redundant, listing seven organizations including the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia among others.

Additional agencies slated for removal included the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This decision aligns with the administration's ongoing strategy to downsize federal operations.

Criticisms of VOA's Editorial Stance

In an official statement, the White House also criticized recent editorial choices at VOA. A previous White House correspondent from VOA described the organization as a defiant entity with a tendency towards a left-leaning bias in sync with partisan national broadcasters.

Since its establishment in 1942, VOA has evolved into a global media network, reaching over 354 million viewers weekly across almost 50 languages, as reported by the organization itself.

Carla Babb, a VOA correspondent at the Pentagon, conveyed on social media that she was among those furloughed indefinitely. She remarked that, for now, she’s barred from delivering news to millions of watchers.

Babb expressed hope for a temporary halt, warning that muffling VOA serves the interests of oppressive regimes whose falsehoods the organization seeks to expose.