Broadcasting Blackout: The Sudden Shutdown of USAGM Networks

The Voice of America and its sister networks were suddenly locked out of their jobs. Federal officials ordered indefinite suspensions for all full-time staffers. This move affected more than 1, 000 employees across the Voice of America and the Office for Cuba Broadcasting, which runs Radio and Television Martí. The shutdown was part of a late Friday night order from the White House. The order stated that the U. S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) must eliminate all activities not required by law. The USAGM networks share important news, information, and American values around the world. They reach 420 million people in 63 languages and more than 100 countries each week. The networks' mission is to deliver news coverage and cultural programming to places where a free press is threatened or doesn't exist. They also serve as a form of soft diplomacy, modeling independent journalism that incorporates dissent from government policy. The networks have been a target of criticism from powerful figures abroad, including those who have close links to the Trump administration. The reporting of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, for example, has vexed autocratic-minded leaders in Russia and Hungary, as well as their allies. The network's journalists have been imprisoned or detained in Russian-controlled Crimea, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Russia itself. The shutdown has raised concerns about the future of independent journalism and the spread of American values abroad. The networks have largely won strong bipartisan support over the years. U. S. Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican former chairperson of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said in a statement that he appreciated the ability of USAGM networks to disseminate information in China that the ruling Chinese Communist party censors sought to block there. "That's why I strongly support many of its programs, " McCaul said. "Programs like