The Committee to Protect Journalists stands in support of thousands of journalists and millions of citizens around the world impacted by President Donald Trump’s dismantling Voice of America’s (VOA) staff and termination of funding to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Radio Free Asia (RFA).
CPJ condemns a Trump executive order issued Friday that resulted in more than 1,300 employees being put on leave at VOA alone, and contract terminations at Radio Free outlets that would effectively end operations, and access to independent news for millions of citizens around the world, creating, as RFA President and CEO Bay Fang put it, “a reward to dictators and despots.”
In reiterating its call for congressional leaders to restore support for the parent funder of these outlets, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), CPJ emphasized the dire consequences of Trump’s action for many journalists.
“This suffocation of independent media is already putting the lives of journalists – who have often withstood enormous challenges to bring news to millions living in censored countries – in grave danger,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “It is really dystopian that the U.S. administration is now posing an existential threat to these historical organizations. We express our solidarity with the journalists put on administrative leave and urge congressional leaders to restore USAGM before irreparable harm is done.”
USAGM, an independent agency chartered by Congress, funds VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia. The networks reach an estimated 427 million people.
CPJ research shows that journalists for USAGM networks often put themselves at risk by reporting in highly censored countries and frequently face retribution for their reporting.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
CPJ Staff | Radio Free (2025-03-16T17:42:16+00:00) ‘Reward to dictators’: CPJ stands with thousands of journalists harmed by Trump’s dismantling of VOA, Radio Free outlets. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/16/reward-to-dictators-cpj-stands-with-thousands-of-journalists-harmed-by-trumps-dismantling-of-voa-radio-free-outlets/
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