The Trump administration has issued mass termination letters to over 600 staff members of Voice of America (VOA), the U.S.-funded international broadcaster. This move effectively shuts down a platform that has delivered global news since World War II, marking a significant shift in U.S. media operations.
Layoff notices were sent Friday to at least 639 employees, including journalists from VOA's Persian-language service. These journalists were recently recalled to broadcast to Iran amidst ongoing military actions but their return was short-lived, with some even denied re-entry to the office.
In total, over 1,400 workers, roughly 85% of VOA and its parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, have been dismissed since March. Kari Lake, Trump's senior adviser at the agency, justified this as a radical overhaul to dismantle what she called a "corrupt and inefficient structure" rife with "dysfunction, bias and waste."
VOA was founded during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda and later served as a strategic Cold War asset against Soviet misinformation. It grew into a crucial source of factual, multilingual journalism, particularly in authoritarian regimes lacking press freedom. Critics argue this legacy is now being deliberately erased.
These mass sackings are seen by critics as part of Trump's broader ideological battle against independent media. The administration is also pushing to cut funding to other public broadcasters like PBS and NPR, indicating a wider trend of curbing public media.
The impact extends globally, as VOA's blackout in parts of Africa, including Nigeria and Ghana, has left millions without reliable news. Listeners, many in rural communities with limited internet access, depended on VOA's shortwave broadcasts, now feeling "cut off from the world."
Source: https://saharareporters.com/2025/06/21/trump-government-issues-sack-letters-over-600-voice-america-workers