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June 23, 2025 – USA –
Voice of America (VOA) and other U.S. government-funded international broadcasters are facing a dramatic overhaul under the leadership of Trump ally Kari Lake, prompting widespread concern over press freedom, international diplomacy, and journalistic independence. Nearly 639 employees—almost half of VOA’s workforce—have received layoff notices, and numerous foreign journalists working under special U.S. visas have been told to prepare for dismissal or repatriation.
Lake, appointed to oversee the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which manages VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), has begun a sweeping reorganization, citing a need to “refocus messaging” and reduce what she called “deep-state influence.” Critics argue the move is part of a broader effort to politicize publicly funded media and suppress dissenting narratives abroad. NPR reports that foreign journalists, some of whom fled authoritarian regimes and relied on U.S. protection, now face the loss of their J-1 visas, with little clarity or support.
This purge follows budget cuts and administrative shake-ups that mirror patterns seen during Donald Trump’s presidency, when VOA leadership was accused of undermining editorial independence. Lake’s new strategy reportedly prioritizes U.S. strategic messaging over journalistic integrity, with insiders fearing a shift from news coverage to political propaganda. David Folkenflik of NPR revealed internal documents suggesting that visa renewals for critical foreign journalists are being deliberately delayed or denied, undermining VOA’s ability to report freely from repressive regions.
The layoffs have also affected staff at RFE/RL, Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), and Radio Free Asia (RFA). Organizations that rely heavily on local language expertise and trusted on-the-ground reporters will be significantly weakened, especially in authoritarian states where independent journalism is scarce.
Al Jazeera and press freedom groups warn that the changes could irreparably damage America’s soft power, as VOA has long been a trusted news source in countries with restricted media. The mass firings and political reshaping of U.S. global media raise alarm over the future of objective international broadcasting and the protection of vulnerable journalists.
Unless reversed or rebalanced, the changes threaten to turn America’s voice abroad into a narrow partisan echo, weakening both credibility and reach.
Reference –
Voice of America journalists are fearful after Kari Lake guts network"They see people working for international networks as a spy," a West African VoA journalist tells me about his home country. "I can just disappear, you know? They could kidnap me or [I could] go to jail." / cont
— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik.bsky.social) 2025-06-22T18:09:13.402Z
