The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) announced on Friday that it has issued termination notices to over 639 employees, culminating in an 85% reduction in personnel since March. This move effectively signals the end of the Voice of America (VOA), a broadcasting network established in 1942 to combat Nazi propaganda. Kari Lake, a senior adviser at USAGM, described the staffing cuts as part of an effort to eliminate what she termed a “bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy,” asserting the agency had been plagued by dysfunction, bias, and waste. Following the recent layoffs, USAGM now operates close to its statutory minimum of 81 employees, with only about 250 remaining across USAGM, VOA, and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which transmits news into Cuba. Notably, none of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting’s 33 employees have been terminated.
The recent layoffs follow a prior dismissal of nearly 600 VOA contractors in May and are seen as aligning with former President Donald Trump’s agenda to reduce government staffing. Critics, mostly from the Republican party, have accused VOA and similar publicly funded media outlets of biased reporting against conservatives and have called for their closure. Additionally, another USAGM station, Radio Free Asia, has announced further furloughs in several departments including human resources and research.
The massive staff reductions have drawn criticism and led to ongoing legal challenges against USAGM. The cuts have raised concerns about the future of U.S. international broadcasting, which has historically played a significant role in providing news to individuals living under authoritarian regimes.
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