Trump silences biggest US global broadcaster for ‘radical propaganda’

All full-time unit astatine the US’s biggest planetary broadcaster person been placed connected permission aft Donald Trump ordered the government-funded bureau to beryllium scaled backmost for being “radical” and “anti-Trump”.

The 1,300 Voice of America (VOA) employees were informed of the determination via email connected Saturday, US media reported.

Staff person been blocked from accessing the broadcaster’s offices successful Washington, DC, meaning freelancers and stringers worldwide person had to halt moving arsenic determination is present nary mode to wage them, an insider told CBS News.

Michael Abramowitz, Voice of America’s director, said astir his full unit of journalists, producers and assistants had been suspended, crippling the broadcaster that operates successful astir 50 languages.

“I americium profoundly saddened that for the archetypal clip successful 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” Mr Abramowitz said connected LinkedIn, adding that the broadcaster has played an important relation “in the combat for state and ideology astir the world”.

The US president issued a sweeping enforcement bid connected Friday gutting the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) – Voice of America’s genitor bureau – and respective different authorities departments.

USAGM has besides terminated its grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which was acceptable up during the Cold War and continues to broadcast to countries successful Eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine.

Radio Free Asia, which broadcasts to China and North Korea, was besides targeted successful the order.

A White House connection said that the bid “will guarantee that taxpayers are nary longer connected the hook for extremist propaganda”.

It included a nexus to a study alleging that VOA reporters had posted “anti-Trump” contented connected societal media.

VOA was founded successful 1942 to antagonistic Nazi propaganda and reaches 360 cardinal radical a week. As a group, USAGM employs astir 3,500 workers with an $886 cardinal fund successful 2024, according to its latest study to Congress.

Experts person warned that the president’s directives could devastate an organisation that is intended to beryllium a root of reliable quality successful authoritarian countries.

‘Shoot consecutive and archer the truth’

William Gallo, VOA’s Seoul bureau chief, said connected Sunday helium had been locked retired of each institution systems and accounts.

“All I’ve ever wanted to bash is sprout consecutive and archer the truth, nary substance what authorities I was covering. If that’s a menace to anyone, truthful beryllium it,” helium said connected societal media.

Jan Lipavsky, the Czech overseas minister, said Radio Free Europe had been a “beacon” for populations nether totalitarian rule.

“From Belarus to Iran, from Russia to Afghanistan, RFE and Voice of America are among the fewer escaped sources for radical surviving without freedom,” helium wrote connected X.

Bay Fang, Radio Free Asia’s president, said the cancellation of its backing was “a reward to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party, who would similar thing amended than to person their power spell unchecked”.

However, Kari Lake, a erstwhile quality anchor nominated by Mr Trump to beryllium manager of VOA, issued a connection describing USAGM arsenic “a elephantine rot and load to the American taxpayer” and said it was “not salvageable”.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who has spearheaded authorities cuts arsenic caput of the Department of Government Efficiency, wrote connected X: “While winding down this planetary authorities propaganda agency, it has temporarily been renamed the Department of Propaganda Everywhere (DOPE).”

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