Hundreds Of VOA Reporters Fired As Trump Shuts Down Agency

Hundreds of journalists for Voice of America (VOA)—most of its remaining staff—have been fired by President Donald Trump’s administration, effectively shutting down the U.S.-funded news outlet, Max Matza reported for BBC News.

More than 85% of the agency’s employees—about 1,400 staff—have lost their jobs since March. I Photo: Rhododendrites Wikimedia Commons

The administration said the layoffs were due to the agency being “riddled with dysfunction, bias, and waste.” Steve Herman, VOA’s chief national correspondent, called the dismantling of the outlet—originally established during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda—a “historic act of self-sabotage.”

Among those laid off were Persian-language reporters who had been on administrative leave but were called back to work last week after Israel attacked Iran.

According to the Associated Press (AP), the Persian reporters had left the office on Friday for a cigarette break and were not allowed to re-enter the building after the termination notices were issued.

“Today, we took decisive action to effectuate President Trump’s agenda to shrink the out-of-control federal bureaucracy,” said Kari Lake, whom the president appointed to run VOA, in a statement announcing the layoffs of 639 employees.

In total, more than 85% of the agency’s employees—about 1,400 staff—have lost their jobs since March. Lake noted that 50 employees would remain across VOA, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and VOA’s parent company, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM).