Trump’s onslaught on VOA and RFE/RL leaves Eastern European media fearing a freefall

On March 15, thousands of journalists worldwide were thrown into limbo. Donald Trump’s executive order the day before had shut down Voice of America (VOA),  putting 16,000 international employees on immediate administrative leave and halting news production. The same order slashed funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), leaving more reporters uncertain about their jobs – and the future of independent media across authoritative states. 

The executive order is the latest in a series of cuts weakening U.S. government agencies. After upending over 80% of foreign aid, Trump turned his attention to the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees outlets including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

“I am deeply saddened that for the first time in 83 years, the storied Voice of America is being silenced,” the outlet’s director, Michael Abramowitz, said on Saturday. RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus called the decision a “huge gift to America’s enemies. “The Iranian ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years. Handing our adversaries a win would make them stronger and America weaker,” Capus added.

VOA and RFE/RL were established during WWII to broadcast news behind the Iron Curtain. After the Cold War – and especially following the collapse of the USSR – they became crucial in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, often serving as the sole alternative to state-controlled news. The Trump administration, however, maintains that the outlets have exhausted themselves, arguing that cuts “will ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda.”

Russian and Chinese state media were quick to praise Trump’s decision, while journalists across Europe voiced concerns for press freedom in their countries. Ukrainian journalists warned that the closure of RFE/RL would shut down critical investigations into corruption, Russian aggression, and reporting from the front lines and occupied territories. Independent journalists in Azerbaijan said their colleagues would have nowhere to publish their work. In Georgia, the owner of the country’s biggest pro-government TV channel Imedi has already expressed interest in purchasing RFE/RL’s shares and head office in Tbilisi. In Belarus and Romania the void left by the outlet would potentially be filled by more state and Russian propaganda. In Russia itself, gutting RFE/RL would mean a blow to the country’s regions and indigenous populations. 

International organizations have condemned Trump’s move. The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the Congress to intervene, while Reporters Without Borders raised alarms for the safety of 9 journalists imprisoned while working for targeted media outlets. In Brussels, European leaders are considering political solutions. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský urged European leaders to find a European alternative for funding  the network, which has been hosted in Prague for the past 25 years. EU ministers debated options in Brussels on March 18, with Sweden emerging as another vocal supporter of keeping RFE/RL afloat. “Sweden encourages all countries and the (European) Commission to really look into what we can do in terms of financing, to make sure that we continue to have a strong Radio Free Europe,” Sweden’s European Affairs Minister Jessica Roswall said ahead of the meeting in Brussels.

But legally, it is murky territory.  The U.S. Agency for Global Media is part of the State Department, and according to Politico, it is unclear whether it can be funded by any entity outside the U.S. Congress.

RFE/RL is trying to use the Congress argument to its advantage. The network filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of violating the Constitution and withholding funds that Congress had already allocated. “This case challenges a federal agency’s refusal to abide by Congress’s power of the purse,” the lawsuit states. But if the experience of dismantling foreign aid is any indicator, courtroom decisions have not been able to deter Trump’s decisions. 

Proceedings have kicked off in Washington and Brussels, but the outcome remains uncertain. In the meantime, Capus said RFE/RL has enough resources to “keep the lights on” and pay its full time staff and freelancers – around 2 000 employees worldwide – for about a month. 

Source of the cover photo: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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