Steve Lodge, whose father Robert Lodge was a correspondent at VOA, protests in front of the organization’s headquarters in Washington DC. Chinese state media has praised Donald Trump’s decision to cut public funding for news outlets Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, which have historically reported on authoritarian regimes. The move has impacted thousands of employees, with 1,300 staff at Voice Of America (VOA) alone placed on paid leave since the executive order was issued. Critics view the decision as a setback for democracy, while Beijing’s state newspaper Global Times criticized VOA for its reporting on China, stating that it has been abandoned by its own government. The White House defended the cut, stating that it aims to stop taxpayers from funding what they consider radical propaganda. The cuts target the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which supports news outlets like VOA, Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio Free Europe. These outlets have received recognition for their reporting in countries with limited press freedom, such as China, Cambodia, Russia, and North Korea. Despite being blocked in some countries, people can still access their broadcasts through alternative means like shortwave radio or VPNs. RFA has reported on human rights violations in Cambodia and China’s detention centers in Xinjiang, among other issues. The National Press Club and journalists have criticized the order, stating it undermines press freedom and the US commitment to independent reporting. VOA, established during World War Two, reaches millions of people worldwide and has been praised for its reporting in countries like China and North Korea. The recent cuts have left journalists like Valdya Baraputri feeling disillusioned and concerned for colleagues who may face persecution in their home countries. RFA and Radio Free Europe plan to challenge the order, stating that cutting funding benefits authoritarian regimes and harms efforts for independent reporting. Mirando hacia atrás en la historia, innumerables exiliados, rebeldes, intelectuales y personas comunes han persistido en la oscuridad debido a las voces de VOA y RFA, y han visto esperanza en el miedo debido a sus informes”, Du Wen, un disidente chino que vive en Bélgica, escribió en X. “Si el mundo libre elige permanecer en silencio, entonces la voz del dictador se convertirá en el único eco en el mundo”.
