“We bring you voices from America. Today and from now on we will talk to you about America and war. News can be good for us. The news can be bad. But we will tell you the truth”, – with these words, announcer William Harlan Hale began the first Voice of America (VOA) broadcast. It took place on February 1, 1942, at the height of World War II. The newly created radio station had a clear goal: to oppose Nazi propaganda and convey reliable information to listeners in Europe. The father of “Voice of America”, who predicted the influence of foreign language, was the American playwright Robert Sherwood. Expressing the role of radio as media, he once said: “We live in an age where communication has reached incredible importance. The human race has a new decisive power, more powerful than all tyrants. This is the power of mass thinking, provoked by words, strong words.”
Since then, VOA has become one of the most recognizable international broadcasters, broadcasting news in 48 languages and reaching hundreds of millions of people around the world. It is funded by the US government, but its editorial policy is based on the principles of independent journalism. It would be more correct to say: financed. Yesterday the director of VOA Michael Abramowitz announced that the historic Voice of America had been silenced for the first time. More than 1,300 employees of the radio station, including the director, have been sent on administrative leave. Ostap Yarysh, host of daily TV programs of the VOA Ukrainian Service, in his Facebook wrote: “Virtually everyone I know at VOA, from various departments and voice services, received emails today that they are being placed on indefinite leave. When and in what form work will resume (and whether it will resume) is still unclear”.
Trump drowning out the Voice of America
US President Donald Trump signed executive order that effectively suspended the Voice of America (VOA) and other media organizations funded by the US government. The executive order seeks to cut federal agencies that are not required by law, including the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other media networks. This was reported by the agency Associated Press.
The Trump administration justified such a move by the need to reduce the size of the federal government and criticized VOA’s editorial policy, accusing it of “leftist bias.” As you know, Trump has repeatedly stated that the bureaucracy in Washington is too bloated, and advocated reducing the number of civil servants, eliminating “inefficient” institutions and reducing budget expenditures. The decision has raised concerns among press freedom advocates, who believe it could weaken global support for free information and promote authoritarian regimes.
Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) in the Trump administration, supported closure of Voice of America and Radio Liberty. He called these media “relics of the past” that “no one listens to” and stated that they “burning $1 billion a year of US taxpayer money”. “This media is not salvageable”, – the agency quotes Mask Reuters.
A key foreign language speaker of the Cold War period
During the Cold War, VOA played an important role in disseminating truthful information to the people of the USSR and Eastern Bloc countries, including Ukraine. Under the Iron Curtain, Voice of America was one of the few sources of truthful news about political repression, economic hardship, and international events. The Soviet authorities tried to jam his signals, but Ukrainians still found ways to listen to these broadcasts.
Until today, “Voice of America” was one of the most powerful media, especially important for countries with restrictions on freedom of speech. In Ukraine, it remains a source of news about international politics, American-Ukrainian relations and global events. In the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the editorial office of the Ukrainian service of “Voice of America” provided operational and verified information about Western aid, decisions of the US Congress and NATO, as well as analytics from leading experts.
“America’s shot in the foot”
The events surrounding the leading international broadcasters sparked a broad discussion about the role of state media in the modern world and their mission in promoting democratic values. Journalists, media critics, media users express themselves in social networks. They write that Trump’s decision is a huge mistake, “America shot itself in the foot”, a “gift” to the media of Russia and Iran, which will now easily dominate the world media space. They note, in particular, that the reduction of the USAGM is primarily an attack on freedom of speech in the USA, which limits the ability of Americans to see their country “from the outside”. Much of the criticism of the Trump administration comes to the United States from other countries precisely through the Voice of America. Democratic America must not allow this to happen. Because this is the way to nowhere.
Organization “Reporters without borders” also issued a statement saying it “condemns this decision as a departure from the United States’ historic role as a defender of free information and calls on the US government to restore Voice of America and calls on Congress and the international community to take action against this unprecedented move.” The organization also reminded that several USAGM employees are currently held abroad, and the administrative decisions made may adversely affect their situation.
“A huge gift to America’s enemies”
Along with Voice of America, Radio Liberty suffered from Trump’s arbitrariness. We devoted a separate section to the history of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty corporation material, because this year she should have celebrated her 75th birthday. Administrative decisions put the further fate of this world-renowned and authoritative broadcaster under a huge question mark. Director General of RFE/RL Steven Kapus named cancellation of the grant for the company’s activities “a huge gift to America’s enemies.”
It will be recalled that the organization played an important role during the Cold War, broadcasting truthful news to the countries of the Eastern Bloc, in particular to the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and others. It became a key source of information for the residents of these countries, helping to overcome Soviet propaganda.
After the collapse of the USSR, Radio Liberty reoriented its activities, continuing to work in regions where there are restrictions on freedom of speech. Its journalists covered events in countries with authoritarian regimes, such as Russia, Belarus, Iran, Afghanistan and others. The Ukrainian edition of Radio Liberty became one of the leading independent media in the country, which actively covered events related to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Currently, despite the termination of state funding, Radio Liberty’s management is considering options for continuing work, in particular through private donor contributions and cooperation with European funds. Attempts to restore funding are also possible through the US Congress, where a number of senators have criticized the Trump administration’s decision.
A blow to foreign language is a blow to soft power in US diplomacy
The announced closure of Radio Liberty and the possible curtailment of the Voice of America is a serious blow to US cultural hegemony, a kind of self-inflicted wound. After all, these media resources played not only an informational, but also a strategic role in promoting American values abroad. They were important elements of the soft power of the United States, which is an integral part of modern diplomacy.
International broadcasting (forecasting) is a key tool of foreign policy influence. Its purpose is not just to inform, but to shape public opinion in other countries, convey the American point of view on events, and counter the disinformation of authoritarian regimes. Radio Liberty and Voice of America performed this function for decades, especially in regions where the information space was influenced by propaganda narratives.
Russia’s attempts to create its own media projects for international influence — for example, Russia Today — have not been successful: Kremlin media have not gained trust and authority in the international arena. Meanwhile, Radio Liberty and Voice of America, despite certain internal problems such as bureaucracy or thematic engagement, remained influential and respected resources.
The closure or reduction of these institutions seems illogical, especially against the background of the intensifying information struggle in Eastern Europe. What will replace them? X (formerly Twitter) or Truth Social, which Trump is banking on, have neither a similar audience nor a corresponding level of trust outside the US.
It seems that the Trump administration, seeking to distance itself from Biden’s policy, is ready to sacrifice even effective tools of foreign policy influence. If Moscow wanted to weaken the American presence in the information space of the region, then this decision of Washington is a priceless gift for the Kremlin. After all, the loss of such media platforms weakens the US’s soft power and creates a vacuum that its geopolitical opponents will gladly fill.
