16 March, 08:53
The U.S. authorities have ceased funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and initiated mass layoffs at Voice of America. On one hand, this is a blow to institutions long considered symbols of the fight for the values of the free world. On the other, these organizations have remained Cold War relics for too long, unable to adapt to new realities.
The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) has terminated the grant funding RFE/RL until the end of 2025, along with other grants. At Voice of America, cuts have affected all full-time employees, who have been placed on forced leave. Some employees who arrived at work on Saturday found themselves locked out of their offices.
RFE/RL management announced its intention to appeal USAGM’s decision. On Saturday morning, the leadership received a letter informing them of the funding halt. Investigative journalist Tara Palmeri published a copy of this letter, signed by Kari Lake, senior advisor to the head of USAGM. The document states that funding ceases on March 15 and any unused funds must be returned.
In at least one language division of RFE/RL, management sent employees a brief notification: “The grant no longer aligns with the agency’s priorities.” USAGM’s decision came just hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating large-scale cuts across seven federal agencies, including media corporations RFE/RL and Voice of America.
Voice of America employees received notices placing them on mandatory paid leave. According to The New York Times, this affected more than 1,000 people. One dismissed employee stated, “We’ve been shut down completely. I’m out of a job.” RFE/RL employees had been warned of potential layoffs in advance: management held a meeting on Friday suggesting that some might be placed on unpaid leave to help them retain their visas.
Later, RFE/RL management sent out two emails. The first acknowledged that such a scenario had not been expected but promised a response. The second, received in the evening, contained a commitment to legally challenge the decision, claiming that cutting funding benefits America’s adversaries.
Trump’s media reforms have sparked a storm of reactions. For some, this marks the dismantling of an outdated and ineffective mechanism in the modern information age. For others, it is the destruction of the last stronghold of informational resistance against autocracies. Is this an attack on free speech or a rational move to eliminate a Cold War relic? Time will tell.
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