In a sweeping move that effectively shutters a global news outlet with roots dating back to World War II, 639 employees of Voice of America (VOA) and its parent agency received layoff notices on Friday (June 20).
The notices affected several divisions, including the Persian-language service. Just a week earlier, some Persian staffers had been abruptly recalled from administrative leave to resume coverage targeting Iranian audiences in the wake of Israel’s military offensive.
On Friday, three of those journalists were reportedly barred from reentering the building after stepping out for a break, with their access badges confiscated.
According to Kari Lake, senior adviser to former President Donald Trump at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, approximately 1,400 employees—or 85 percent of the agency’s workforce—have now been dismissed since March.
Lake defended the cutbacks as part of a long-overdue effort to overhaul what she described as a bloated and unaccountable bureaucracy.
“For decades, American taxpayers have footed the bill for an agency plagued by dysfunction, bias, and waste,” Lake said in a statement. “That ends now.”
VOA, which originally broadcast messages of democracy into Nazi Germany, expanded its reach over the decades, providing journalism in dozens of languages to audiences often lacking independent media.
The sweeping layoffs come as part of a broader campaign by Trump to challenge U.S. media institutions he perceives as hostile to conservative viewpoints.
His administration has also backed a proposal now before Congress to cut off public funding for PBS and NPR.
Since March 15, most VOA staff had been placed on administrative leave, their broadcasts and online platforms largely silenced.
Among those receiving termination notices Friday were three employees currently engaged in a legal battle challenging the administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency.
“This marks the end of 83 years of independent journalism dedicated to promoting democratic values and freedom worldwide,” the trio—Jessica Jerreat, Kate Neeper, and Patsy Widakuswara—said in a joint statement.
Source: Al Jazeera
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