Voice Of America Director Speaks Out After Trump Starts Dismantling U.S.-Funded Broadcast Entities
Update, 3:37 pm pt: boss America’s voice He said that more than 1,300 journalists, producers and employees were supported on an administrative vacation to follow up Donald TrumpExecutive order to dismantle The American Agency for Global Media.
“I feel deep sadness because for the first time in 83 years, Voice of America is silent,” Voa director Michael Abramovich wrote in a statement.
“VOA needs a thoughtful reform, and we have made progress in this regard. But today’s work will leave America’s voice unable to carry out its vital mission. This task is very important today, when the opponents of America, such as Iran, China and Russia, drowned billions of dollars in creating Fols novels to discredit the United States.”
Trump’s executive was aimed at the US Agency for the World Media, which oversees VOA and other US -funded broadcast entities including Radio Europe/Radio Freedom and Free Radio. This was followed by an email sent to all the employees who were placed on a paid administrative leave.
The White House issued a statement today called “America’s extremist voice”, on the pretext that it houses a left -wing view. But the administration is trying to punish news means to make the editorial decisions they do not like, including the Associated Press, which was banned from the events of the White House because it has not changed its style guidelines to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
In his statement, Abramovich said that Voa “is often the only reliable source of news and information” in many dictatorships.
“I salute the amazing employees of America,” he wrote. “Many of them came to America from the authoritarian countries where they were unable to practice the press freely.”
A number of stimulating press organizations appeared due to Trump’s work.
“It is mosque that the White House is seeking the fake channel that supports the congressional agency that supports the independent press that challenges the accounts of authoritarian regimes all over the world. We call on Congress leaders to protect this critical agency, which provides news that is not controlled in countries where the press is restricted,” said Carolus Martinez de la Sirna, Director of the Committee Program for the Protection of Journalists. He pointed out that Voa reached international fans of 350 million in 2023 and that RFE/RL reaches more than 47 million every week.
previously: Donald Trump targets America and other international broadcasting entities funded by the United States, as it signed an executive on Friday to eliminate their supervision agency jobs.
The employees have been informed this morning that they are placed on an administrative leave with wages, but they must be available to work if it is directed to do so, according to a memorandum you obtained. New York Times.
Trump’s order to the US Agency for Global Media and Other Points calls for “reducing the performance of its legal functions and employees associated with the minimum existence and the job required under the law.” The agency’s head requires a report next week, “Any components or jobs for the government entity, if any, legally required and to any extent.”
In addition to Voice of America, the American Global Media Agency supervises Europe Radio/Radio Freedom and Free Radio, among other entities. But Trump’s command may face less restrictions than the action of Congress, which over the years has tried to protect press entities from political influence.
Voice of America is the best known entity among broadcasting entities, and works with a budget of about $ 370 million. Trump Carrie Lake, who has long been loyal to the entity’s leadership, has chosen, but she must be approved by the seven -member international broadcasting advisory council. Instead, a lake works as a private consultant, and it attacked Voa. In a message about X after Trump’s executive order, I wrote, “If you are an agency employee, please check your email immediately for more information.”
During his first term, Trump targeted America’s voice, which raised fears that he would try to use the broadcasting entity as his own personal propaganda engine. Michael Pak, the documentary director, chose to lead the US Agency for the World Media. His mandate was turbulent, as the leaders of some broadcasting entities fired and installed Trump’s loyalists. The International Broadcasting Law in 1994 “is prohibited by any US government official in independent and independent news of news,” according to VOA.
This term, Trump has E. Brent Bozell was nominated, A conservative activist for a long time, to lead the US Agency for the World Media, but he is still facing the confirmation of the Senate.
Trump’s executive order also called for the dismantling of other agencies including federal mediation and reconciliation service, Woodro Wilson International Researchers at the Smithsonian Institute, the United States Council to reach homelessness, museum services and libraries Institute, the Financial Institutions Fund for Community Development, and the Minority Business Development Fund.
The White House said the agency’s discounts are part of Elon Musk’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. But Trump is seeking to extend his 2017 tax measures, which included a significant decrease in corporate tax rate, in addition to increasing financing to implement border monitoring and collective deportation. The House of Representatives issued a budget decision last month to increase the deficit by $ 4.5 trillion during the next decade to help finance tax cuts, but it also calls to reduce spending by $ 1.7 trillion during this time frame, according to the tax institution.
