All full-time employees at Voice of America (VOA), the largest U.S. government-funded international broadcaster, were placed on administrative leave Saturday following President Donald Trump’s executive order mandating severe budget cuts.
Crystal Thomas, HR director at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA and other state-funded outlets, informed staff via email of the decision. The leave affects VOA’s full-time workforce, including reporters, senior managers, and others, but excludes those on contracts expiring in June.
The order, which applies to USAGM and six other agencies, requires a reduction in operations, limiting staff and functions to the minimum necessary. As a result, VOA employees were barred from accessing its Washington, D.C. headquarters and were sent home, with freelancers and contractors also halted due to a lack of funding.
This follows a broader financial halt impacting other USAGM operations, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, affecting broadcasts in regions like Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, China, and North Korea.
Michael Abramowitz, VOA’s director, voiced his disappointment on LinkedIn, stating, “I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced.” He also acknowledged the need for reform but emphasized the damaging impact of these cuts, especially at a time when adversaries like Iran, China, and Russia are spreading disinformation.
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