Voice of America staff put on leave, Trump ally says agency ‘not salvageable’

More than 1,300 Voice of America employees were placed on leave on Saturday and funding for two US news services that broadcast to authoritarian regimes was terminated, one day after President Donald Trump ordered the gutting of the government-funded media outlet’s parent and six other federal agencies.

Michael Abramowitz, Voice of America’s director, said nearly his entire staff of 1,300 journalists, producers and assistants had been put on administrative leave, crippling a media broadcaster that operates in almost 50 languages.

“I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” Abramowitz said in a post on LinkedIn, saying it has played an important role “in the fight for freedom and democracy around the world.”

VOA’s parent agency, the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), also terminated its grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which broadcasts to countries in Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, as well as to Radio Free Asia, which broadcasts to China and North Korea.

Trump’s directives look set to devastate an organization that serves as a rare source of reliable news in authoritarian countries.

Founded in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA now reaches 360 million people a week. As a group, USAGM employs roughly 3,500 workers with an $886-million budget in 2024, according to its latest report to Congress.

VOA’s Seoul Bureau Chief William Gallo said on Sunday he had been locked out of all company systems and accounts.

“All I’ve ever wanted to do is shoot straight and tell the truth, no matter what government I was covering. If that’s a threat to anyone, so be it,” he said on Bluesky.

Kari Lake, the former news anchor and Trump loyalist nominated to be director of VOA, issued a statement describing USAGM as “a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer” and said it was “not salvageable.” Lake, referring to herself as a USAGM senior adviser, said she would shrink the agency to its minimum possible size under the law.

On its website, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty notes that it has been declared an “undesirable organization” by the Russian government and warns readers in Russia and Russia-occupied Ukraine that they could “face fines or imprisonment” for liking or sharing its content.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said Radio Free Europe had been a “beacon” for populations under totalitarian rule.

“From Belarus to Iran, from Russia to Afghanistan, RFE and Voice of America are among the few free sources for people living without freedom,” he wrote on X.

The move follows Trump signing an executive order on Friday instructing USAGM and six other little-known agencies to reduce their operations to the minimum mandated by statutes, saying it was necessary to shrink bureaucracy.

FREE PRESS ADVOCATES CRITICAL

The president of the National Press Club in Washington, Mike Balsamo, released a statement saying the cuts at VOA undermined America’s commitment to a free and independent press.

“For decades, Voice of America has delivered fact-based, independent journalism to audiences worldwide, often in places where press freedom does not exist,” Balsamo said.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders also blasted the move, saying it “threatens press freedom worldwide and negates 80 years of American history in supporting a free flow of information.”

Radio Free Asia’s (RFA) president, Bay Fang, said the cancellation of its funding was “a reward to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party, who would like nothing better than to have their influence go unchecked.”

Some Republicans have accused VOA and other publicly funded media outlets of being biased against conservatives, and have called for them to be shuttered as part of the efforts by tech billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to shrink the government.

So far, Musk’s DOGE has cut more than 100,000 jobs across the 2.3 million-member federal civilian workforce, frozen foreign aid and cancelled thousands of programs and contracts.

On Saturday, Musk made light of the cuts to USAGM.

“While winding down this global government propaganda agency, it has temporarily been renamed the Department of Propaganda Everywhere (DOPE),” he wrote on X.

In addition to USAGM, Trump’s order also targeted the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency for cuts that would limit them to “the minimum presence and function required by law.”

In a statement, the White House said his executive orders “will ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda,” before listing various criticisms of VOA, including allegations of left-wing bias.

AM Live

AM Live is NTV's morning current affairs show that sets the agenda for the day with insightful panels every weekday.

BNX

Business Redefined

Business Redefined is Kenya’s premier thought leadership platform for unpacking matters regarding economic and finance policy as well demystifying complex developments in the region’s capital markets.

Comedies

A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula

Creatives & Coins Podcast

A podcast that dives deep into the vibrant and rapidly evolving digital creative economy in Kenya. This show explores the lives, challenges, and triumphs of individuals who are successfully navigating the gig and creative economies. From digital artists and content creators to freelance writers and tech entrepreneurs, we spotlight the voices that are shaping the future of work in Kenya.

Documentaries

A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula

Entertainment

A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula

Full Episodes

A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula

Gumzo La Sato

Gumzo La Sato is a live social issues show that aims to create awareness about issues affecting the larger society. The discussions range from Parenting, Marital bliss and struggles, Oppression, violence, and all matters of the Heart.

Health Diary

Health Diary is a weekly show that highlights different types of diseases/conditions and seeks ways to prevent, treat/manage them. The show debunks this through real life stories and also feature specialists in different fields, to offer medical advice on the same.

Letter To My Younger Self

Letter To My Younger Self is a podcast where guests get to write a letter to their younger self, from which Maxine formulates questions to ask them during the hour-long show.

Mazao Talks

Mazao looks at agriculture and agribusiness

Nation Reports

Nation Reports is a weekly podcast offers an opportunity for listeners to interact with various reporters and journey with them as they unravel the biggest most emotive stories.

Noma

NOMA is a gripping family drama that delves into the complexities of sibling rivalry, parental expectations, and the struggle for identity within a powerful business family In the heart of Nairobi, the Mwamba family stands as a beacon of success, with a thriving business empire built by the patriarch, MZEE AMAON MWAMBA. However, beneath the surface, the family is fractured by jealousy, unspoken desires, and the weight of expectations.

One Health Lens Podcast

Discussing health matters and human stories from Kenya and across Africa. We talk big picture from people to policy, ecosystems, and everything in between. Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onehealthlens

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost peeks through the story of Louis Otieno, the times, and everything in between.

Podcasts

Podcasts

Primetime

A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula

Speaking of GEN Z

Speaking of Gen Z brings you entertaining but meaningful conversations about a generation that is trying to navigate through adulthood. Join hosts Michelle, Jackie and Esther as they unravel all things Gen Z.

Sport On

Sport-On is a 30-minute sports magazine show on NTV and 3 hours on NATION FM. The show seeks to give the sports “fanatics” and “funatics” comprehensive and in-depth coverage of sports both locally and internationally.

Tech-over

The extent of technological growth is beyond mere acknowledgment; it has seamlessly integrated into our daily existence. A few years ago, the notion of paying electricity bills through mobile money or recharging with 'tokens' in Kenya seemed inconceivable. Online product sales were considered distant, and artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping various facets of our lives. Amidst these technological leaps, those with a solid understanding of tech can navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and build a sustainable livelihood. Tech over Show aims to be the platform facilitating discussions among thought leaders, innovators, tech companies, and the government, addressing challenges and opportunities in Kenya's thriving tech industry.

Thamani

Thamani is a business show which is dedicated to emerging issues regarding micro, small and medium size businesses.

The Politalk podcast

This is The Politalk podcast. Here we look into the ins and outs of everything Kenyan politics. We pull no punches and have no reason to sugarcoat anything that matters to Kenyans.

The Trend

A two-hour-long live show that airs on Fridays. The show focuses on what is current in the entertainment industry, controversial and popular across all media platforms targeting those aged between 25 and 35 years.

The trend podcast

The trend podcast highlights and captures the best of banter from #TTTT segment that airs every Friday on NTV. It's the TTTT EXTRA

The Wicked Edition

The Wicked Edition with Dr. King’ori seeks to address serious issues through humour and relatable wit. It is a two-part half hour show filmed in front of a live audience

Trending

A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula

Twende

Twende is a travel show that highlights beautiful, unique, diverse locations, people, and cultures. The show offers fresh perspectives on familiar locations and memorable experiences in new ones.

Unscripted

This Saturday evening lifestyle show lets viewers share their stories and life experiences as openly & honestly for the purpose of shifting the culture of silence.

VIP Access

VIP ACCESS is Anyiko Owoko’s YouTube and podcast show on Music and Culture dedicated to promoting Africa’s most promising talent and creatives. This podcast grants you VIP access into timeless interviews while providing a platform for rising as well as established artists across the continent. Since launching in 2018, Anyiko has interviewed over 70 African music stars.

WADR

This weekly news show aims to have all sides of debate but not be constrained by it, listen to main voices in the contest but not allow them to hold the viewers hostage, entertain debate but allow push back with all due respect.

When death do us part

In this podcast, three widowers openly speak about the process of grief, how they found themselves exposed to the emotional turmoil of losing their wives, and how society still does not know how to deal with them.

Your World

Your World is a health, wellness and variety show. It provides a platform for audiences and experts to share their experiences on how to improve or manage health issues, across Kenya and the Africa region.