Voice of America (VOA), a major U.S. government-funded international broadcaster, faces significant challenges following cuts ordered by former President Donald Trump. The cuts have been described as paralyzing by Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of China's Global Times. VOA, known for its extensive global reach and reporting in 27 languages from 23 countries, has been instrumental in regions where press freedom is severely limited or nonexistent. Each week, it reaches over 47 million people, with a broader audience of around 360 million people in nearly 50 languages.
VOA has a long history of broadcasting in areas such as China, North Korea, communist Cuba, and the former Soviet Union. In China, it broadcasts not only in English and Mandarin but also in minority languages like Tibetan and Uyghur. Despite being banned in China, many continue to access VOA through shortwave radio or VPNs. Its reporting has been critical in covering human rights issues, such as the crackdown on human rights in Cambodia and the network of detention centers in Xinjiang, China.
The broadcaster has also played a pivotal role in helping Chinese people learn English and has received recognition for its podcast on rare protests against COVID-19 lockdowns in 2022. Moreover, VOA's reporting on North Korean defectors and the alleged cover-up of COVID-19 fatalities by the Chinese Communist Party has earned it numerous awards.
However, Trump’s decision to cut funding has drawn criticism from various quarters. Michael Abramowitz, VOA's director, stated that the order "hobbled VOA while 'America's adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States.'" This sentiment is echoed by Valdya Baraputri who remarked that "eliminating VOA, of course, allows channels that are the opposite of accurate and balanced reporting to thrive."
VOA was founded during World War Two with the mission to counter Nazi propaganda. Its role in upholding unbiased and factual reporting free from government influence remains critical today. However, these cuts have raised concerns about undermining America's commitment to a free and independent press. The National Press Club highlighted this issue by stating that such moves "undermine America's long-standing commitment to a free and independent press."
Despite its challenges, VOA continues to be a valuable source of information for its audience. It has been a beacon of hope for those living under repressive regimes. Bay Fang, another critic of the cuts, noted that these actions serve as a "reward to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party, who would like nothing better than to have their influence go unchecked in the information space."
Chinese state media has been quick to seize upon these developments. Hu Xijin expressed satisfaction with the recent cuts by stating, "Voice of America has been paralysed! And so has Radio Free Asia, which has been as vicious to China. This is such great news." Moreover, Global Times criticized VOA by stating that it has "now been discarded by its own government like a dirty rag."
In addition to these criticisms, Valdya Baraputri shared feelings of disillusionment. She commented on feeling betrayed by the perceived erosion of press freedom in the United States. "Feeling betrayed by the idea I had about press freedom [in the US]," she said, highlighting the broader implications of these funding cuts on international perceptions of U.S. media freedom.
The White House defended its actions by asserting that it was necessary to "ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda." However, this explanation has not pacified critics who argue that these cuts benefit America's adversaries at the expense of its own strategic interests.