Voice of America staff placed on leave after Trump’s funding cut order

FILE: Voice of America, Edward R. Murrow Greenville Transmitting Station, the VOA broadcasting station in North Carolina’s Inner Banks. (Photo By Fancy-cats-are-happy-cats/Wikimedia Commons)

By Anadolu, Philippine News Agency

ISTANBUL – All full-time staff at Voice of America (VOA), the largest US government-funded international broadcaster, were informed Saturday that they had been placed on administrative leave.

Crystal Thomas, human resources director at the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the agency overseeing VOA and other state-funded news organizations, sent an email notifying employees of the decision.

The notice, sent to all full-time VOA employees, from reporters to senior managers, did not include contractual staff whose contracts expire in June, according to CBS News.

Starting Saturday, VOA employees were barred from accessing the headquarters in Washington, DC. Some were sent home while en route, while freelancers, stringers, and those on monthly contracts were also stopped from working due to a lack of funds.

The decision follows US President Donald Trump’s executive order on Friday, mandating significant budget cuts at USAGM and six other agencies.

“Such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law,” the order stated.

USAGM, which also oversees Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, halted financial support for both organizations, affecting broadcasts in Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, China, and North Korea.

Michael Abramowitz, director of Voice of America, expressed his disappointment in a LinkedIn post, stating: “I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced.”

“I learned this morning that virtually the entire staff of Voice of America — more than 1,300 journalists, producers, and support staff — has been placed on administrative leave today. So have I,” he added.

Abramowitz acknowledged the need for reform at VOA and noted progress had been made, but said the current actions hinder its ability to carry out its mission, especially at a time when adversaries like Iran, China, and Russia are investing heavily in spreading disinformation to undermine the US.