In a bold move that’s shaking the foundations of government-funded media, Kari Lake, senior adviser to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, has slashed a staggering 85% of the workforce, totaling 1,400 positions.
This drastic cut, impacting the Voice of America and other international networks, is framed as a necessary purge of inefficiency. As reported by NPR, Lake’s actions are part of a broader effort to rein in what she calls a bloated bureaucracy.
Let’s rewind to mid-March, when President Trump issued an executive order paving the way for this overhaul. Lake, acting on that directive, placed much of the Voice of America staff on leave, effectively muting a network that has broadcast to autocratic regimes since World War II.
Fast forward to last month, and the agency terminated over 500 contractors, tightening the financial noose. Then, in a twist, as tensions flared between Israel and Iran, Lake briefly recalled dozens of staffers to revive the Persian-language service. But, in a bitter irony, many of those same employees received pink slips by Friday.
Lake’s justification? She’s claimed in a press release that taxpayers have long funded an agency mired in “dysfunction, bias, and waste.” While that’s a zinger that resonates with those tired of government excess, one wonders if slashing 85% of a workforce is reform or wreckage.
Voice of America, a beacon of U.S. democratic ideals for 83 years, took the brunt of these permanent reductions. Critics, including three suing employees—White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara, Press Freedom Editor Jessica Jerreat, and Director of Strategy Kate Neeper—call this a death knell for independent journalism.
“This move spells the death of 83 years of independent journalism that upholds U.S. ideals of democracy and freedom around the world,” the trio stated jointly. That’s a heavy charge, but in an era where global propaganda from Moscow and Beijing runs rampant, is silencing our own voice the answer?
These staffers, all recipients of layoff notices effective Sept. 1, urge Congress to maintain bipartisan support for Voice of America. Their plea carries weight, yet Lake’s camp might argue that a leaner operation could still counter anti-American narratives without the bureaucratic baggage.
Even senior White House correspondent Anita Powell, who got her termination letter on Friday, pushed back against the narrative of disloyalty. “I am not a traitor,” she declared, rejecting what she sees as a gross mischaracterization of dedicated journalists. It’s a poignant defense, though some might say the agency’s track record on security—echoing concerns from Trump’s first term—invites scrutiny.
Lake has revived old claims that poor security at the agency opens doors to espionage by foreign powers. That’s a serious accusation, and one she’s likely to expand on during her upcoming appearance before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Trump ally Rep. Brian Mast of Florida. The hearing’s title, “Spies, Lies and Mismanagement,” leaves little doubt about the tone.
Meanwhile, Michael Abramowitz, Voice of America’s director, currently on involuntary paid leave, warns that the scale of these cuts could gut the network’s congressionally mandated mission to deliver objective news to closed societies. He hasn’t received a layoff notice yet, but his words paint a dire picture of an eviscerated institution.
Other networks under the U.S. Agency for Global Media umbrella, like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and Middle East Broadcasting Networks, aren’t sitting idly by. They’ve joined Voice of America journalists in separate lawsuits against Lake and the administration, signaling a legal battle over the future of government-funded media.
Back in March, Lake also moved to sever congressional funding for these other networks, a decision that’s fueled the ongoing litigation. It’s a power play that’s hard to ignore, though supporters might argue it’s high time to rethink how taxpayer dollars are spent on international broadcasting.
Staffers, speaking anonymously to avoid repercussions, reveal the chaos within, especially in the Persian-language newsroom where recalls and layoffs collided. It’s a messy rollout, and while inefficiency deserves a reckoning, the human toll of 1,400 lost jobs can’t be glossed over.
As this saga unfolds, the balance between fiscal responsibility and maintaining America’s global voice hangs in the air. Lake’s reforms may resonate with those frustrated by government waste, but at what cost to our ability to combat foreign disinformation? That’s the question Congress, and perhaps the courts, will soon grapple with.
