2 months ago
- Voice of America’s Persian Service, established after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, was significantly weakened under Trump’s second term, with staff cuts from over 100 to a few dozen.
- Kari Lake, appointed by Trump to lead US global media, aimed to shut down the agency; she placed 1,042 of 1,147 staffers on paid leave in March 2025.
- The Persian Service’s coverage became biased: it avoided reporting on a US missile strike on a school in Iran, but aired a video on Melania Trump.
- Ali Javanmardi, a pro-Trump overseer, imposed editorial control, banning phrases like 'Death to America' and requiring pre-approval for guests, undermining journalistic independence.
- VOA’s historical charter (1976) and the 1994 International Broadcasting Act established a firewall to protect editorial independence, which journalists say has been destroyed.
- Legal battles ensued: employees sued Lake, and a judge ruled she was ineligible to lead the agency; the House voted to fund VOA at $199.5 million for 2026.
- Many VOA journalists lost visas, faced imprisonment risks in home countries, and took jobs like Uber driving or at Trader Joe’s.
- The silencing of VOA has reduced US capacity to counter disinformation from Russia and China, leaving a diminished global media presence.