US President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered deductions to staff from various government -owned media organizations, including the Voice of America, because his administration is on the path to reducing the federal workforce.
The Voice of America’s director revealed that all employees of the organization have been put on leave.
Immediately after the Congress approved its latest funding bill to stop the government’s closure on Friday, Trump directed its administration to minimize the work of several agencies by minimal law. It included the US Agency for Global Media, which includes Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia, and Radio Marti, which affects Spanish language news in Cuba.
The agency’s senior adviser to Trump, Carey Lake, posted on the X on Saturday that employees should check their email. It agreed that notices of the notices to go out on administrative leave to the US staff.
“For the first time in 83 years, in 83 years, the United States” voice is being silenced, the Associate Press said in a statement to global media director Michael Abramot.
Abramotz added that the entire crew of 1300 people was “practically” on leave.
The statement added that “VOA promotes freedom and democracy worldwide for those living in the world and objective and balanced news and information, especially for oppression.”
A video posted on X on Saturday is discussed in a video posted on X, which does not mention the mission of employees and Voice of America. His video was built in a lease -based building by VOA, described by the lake as a waste of money. She said she would try to break the agency’s 15 -year -old lease on the building.
“We are doing everything possible to cancel the contracts that can be canceled, more and more, is reduced, and make sure your dollar has no misuse,” he said.
Without reporters of the Press Advocacy Group, borders said it “condemns the decision to leave the US as a protector of free information and demanded the US government to restore the VOA and urge the Congress and the international community to take action against this unprecedented action.”
The Agency for World Media has sent notices to eliminate grants for radio -free Asia and other programming run by the agency. “The cancellation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s grant deal will be a huge gift for US enemies,” said Stephen Caps, Stephen Caps, the president and CEO of the network.
What does the agency do for the global media?
For the global media, the agency is considered to be the arm of US diplomacy, which is run by media organizations like Voice of America that transmit domestic news of the country to other countries, often translated into local languages. Radio Free Asia, Europe and Marti Beam News in regions such as China, North Korea and Russia.
Jointly, the network is estimated to reach 427 million people. They meet the Cold War and are part of a network of government -run organizations that are trying to expand US influence and counter dictatorship, which includes another agency through Trump.
This reduction is a dramatic blow to a major place of the Cold War Order that has long been bilateral cooperation. The Voice of America directors include Conservative Observer Tucker Carlson’s father Dick Carlson.
Thomas Kent, former president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said Trump’s intentions for agencies are still blurred. He said that without the sources of these news, it would be so difficult for the country to receive its messages to the world.
“Without international broadcasts, the image of the United States and the Trump administration will be in the hands of others, including the administration’s opponents, (and) countries and those who consider the United States an enemy,” the AP quoted Kent, an international media ethics adviser.
The order to put employees on an administrative leave also states that the staff will continue to receive salaries and benefits “unless otherwise notified.” It ordered employees not to use the agency for global media facilities and return goods like phone and computers.
The Trump administration has already taken other steps to gain its authority over the Voice of America, and the agreements have been canceled this week, allowing VOA to use content from various independent news organizations.
Trump’s ruling requires a reduction, including several other, less well -known government agencies such as Woodro Wilson International Center for Scholars, a non -party think tank, the homeless United States Intranses Council, and the Community Development Institution Fund.
