Overview

• President Trump signed an executive order on March 14, 2025, dismantling the U.S. Agency for Global Media, effectively halting Voice of America and other U.S.-funded broadcasters.
• Over 1,300 employees have been placed on administrative leave, with broadcasts either ceasing or switching to non-news content like music.
• Critics, including bipartisan members of Congress, warn the move undermines U.S. soft power and press freedom, leaving a vacuum in global information dissemination.
• Adversaries like China and Russia have celebrated the shutdown, viewing it as a strategic victory against U.S. influence.
• The European Union and press freedom organizations have expressed concern that the closure benefits authoritarian regimes and weakens democratic values worldwide.