PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Nearly 600 Voice of America (VOA) employees, primarily contractors, were fired as part of a Trump administration overhaul of the agency.
👥 Who’s Involved: The Trump administration, U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), VOA employees, and senior adviser Kari Lake.
📍 Where & When: The firings were announced this week, with the employees’ last day set for May 30.
💬 Key Quote: Kari Lake stated, “I don’t have editorial control over the content of VOA and OCB programming, but I can ensure our outlets have reliable and credible options as they work to craft their reporting and news programs.”
⚠️ Impact: The dismissals represent one-third of VOA’s workforce and coincide with a shift toward using One America News Network for news-feed services.
IN FULL:
The Trump administration has terminated nearly 600 employees at Voice of America (VOA) as part of a broader effort to reform the agency. The affected individuals, many of whom are contractors, were informed this week that their employment will end on May 30.
The dismissals account for approximately one-third of the agency’s workforce. Employees were instructed to return VOA property, including badges and credentials, by the same date. The move comes amid a restructuring of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA.
This wave of firings follows an announcement by USAGM senior adviser Kari Lake that One America News Network (OANN) will now provide news-feed services to the agency’s outlets. Lake emphasized her role in ensuring credible and reliable options for the agency’s reporting, stating, “I don’t have editorial control over the content of VOA and OCB programming, but I can ensure our outlets have reliable and credible options as they work to craft their reporting and news programs.”
The restructuring efforts have faced legal challenges. Last month, a federal judge ruled against the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle VOA and its affiliated services. Despite this, the administration appears committed to reshaping the agency’s operations and partnerships.
VOA has been a source of controversy in the past. In 2020, the news outlet was accused of parroting propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuts to the USAGM have also affected other broadcasters like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration in March, arguing President Trump violated the Constitution by withholding Congress-approved funding.
https://thenationalpulse.com/2025/05/16/nearly-600-voice-of-america-staffers-laid-off/
