Voice of America in trouble; What Trump has done!

President Donald Trump has yet again signed an executive order, and this time it is to dismantle the Voice of America (VOA); a U.S. government-funded media outlet. The reason, Trump is accusing it of promoting biased and radical propaganda. The order also targets six other federal agencies instructing them to reduce their operations to the minimum required by law and eliminate all non-statutory functions.

VOA’s director, Michael Abramowitz has expressed deep sadness over the news stating that VOA has been silenced for the first time in 83 years.

More than 1,300 VOA employees have now been placed on administrative leave effectively halting the broadcaster’s operations. This also affects Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, which have been declared undesirable foreign organizations by Russia

Advocates for these media outlets are saying that they serve as beacons of truth and democracy for millions of people around the world, particularly in regions under authoritarian rule. They contend that dismantling these networks cedes leverage to adversaries like China, Iran, and Russia.

Trump’s administration has also justified the order by claiming that VOA and other outlets are biased against conservatives and that taxpayers should not fund radical propaganda. However, critics maintain that the broadcasters play a crucial role in promoting accurate news and democratic values in regions saturated by foreign propaganda.

Tech billionaire and Trump’s adviser Elon Musk, has called for the shutdown of these government-funded international broadcasters adding that they are outdated and ineffective.

Voice of America is U.S. government-funded media outlet established in 1942 to counter Nazi and Japanese propaganda. It broadcasts news and information in almost 50 languages, reaching countries in Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine and in Asia to China and North Korea.

The parent agency of VOA, RFE/RL, and RFA has been overseeing these and other U.S.-funded media outlets.

The executive order was signed on Friday, March 14, 2025, and took effect on Saturday, March 15, 2025