The wave of retrenchment in the US has now reached the Government Multimedia Broadcasting Service ‘Voice of America’ (VOA). According to reports, several VOA channels have been closed, and news broadcasting at local radio stations has been completely stopped. Editors have been sent on leave, and music is now being run instead of news programs.
According to CNN report, Voice of America director Michael Abramovich revealed in a Facebook post that the entire 1300 employees have been sent on leave. The decision came on the same day when Donald Trump signed an order related to VOA’s parent company.
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Banage on VOA: Editors removed, coverage banned
According to reports, VOA editors have been asked to stop work and coverage all over the world has also been closed.
- A senior journalist said, “VOA has been completely silenced.”
- Voice of America is part of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
- The agency operates several major media outlets such as Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Network.
Now, all these networks are also being trimmed, and their contracts have been canceled.
Donald Trump and Alan Musk’s impact effect
Donald Trump’s supporters believe that such international broadcasting is only a waste of money.
- He says that the broadcast of American channels in China and other countries threatened national security.
- The US has been spending heavily on international news and current affairs coverage for decades.
- Both Republican and Democrats Balanced journalism In favor of promoting, but they believe that foreign propaganda should be avoided.
Donald Trump recently appointed Conservative Media Critic Brent Bozel as the new chief of the USAGM. According to reports, bureaucracy is being reduced under a huge cut in government machinery.
Alan Musk’s tough stance: ‘No government media needs’
Elon Musk said in February itself that international broadcasts run by government funds should be discontinued.
- He said, “Now no one listens to them, only radical leftists discuss it.”
- Musk also claimed that billions of dollars of US taxpayers were being spent unnecessarily on these media organizations.
The shadow of uncertainty on American government media
The status of VOA and other media networks associated with it is now uncertain.
- Voa’s credibility and future are being questioned due to retrenchment and budget cuts.
- Is this decision a sign of major changes in American media policy?
At the moment, the future of American international media institutions is hanging in the balance, and it will be interesting to see what the global response to it will be.
