The Radio Free Europe and Voice of America radio stations are the only independent sources of news in many countries. Now the US government wants to cut their funding. That would be a disaster for international press freedom.

The US Global Media Agency (USAGM) is to be dismantled. The Trump administration announced this in mid-March 2025. Among other things, USAGM operates the Voice of America (VoA) radio station and finances both Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia. These stations bring independent journalism to countries where freedom of the press is restricted. VoA alone broadcasts in 43 languages and reaches 280 million listeners a week.

A New York federal judge has blocked the closure of VoA and the dismissal of the journalists working there for the time being. But the last word has not yet been spoken. Why is monitoring this case important for us as communicators? Because it is a good example of how press freedom is at risk, even in supposedly advanced countries, and why it is worth fighting for.

Between propaganda and critical reporting

The VoA radio station went on the air for the first time in 1942. The first broadcasts were in German and a direct response to Nazi war propaganda. VoA was founded with the aim of bringing the “American culture of freedom” to the world. Its aim was to promote what is commonly known as “soft power”, i.e. the soft exercise of power by the United States. The broadcasters did that not only with news but also through jazz, which symbolized unlimited freedom in the USA.

That sounds like propaganda. Yes, these are inherent aspects of the radio stations. Radio Free Europe was often suspected of being a CIA-controlled propaganda outlet. As a matter of fact, it was initially financed by the intelligence service. But if you describe the stations as propaganda outlets, you would be missing the mark. Their story is too complex for that.

Decisive role during the Cold War

VoA also reported on the failures of the US army in Japan during World War II. Japanese prisoners of war later put on record that, because of this candid coverage, they believed what the station was reporting and valued it as a source of information.

Radio Free Europe was the only independent source of news in the Soviet satellite states during the USSR era. Its sister station – Radio Liberty – played the same role in Russia. During the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, for example, the official state media of the states in the Soviet bloc remained silent about the catastrophe for months. The audiences of both Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty increased dramatically during this time. These stations broadcast the facts and informed the public about how they could protect themselves from the radiation.

Work remains dangerous and important

Even today, the work of US foreign broadcasters is crucial to international freedom of the press. It was not for nothing that VoA was classified as a foreign agent and banned in Russia in 2020. Journalists are often exposed to major risks because they work in countries where freedom of the press is restricted. Reporters are regularly threatened and persecuted.

With that knowledge, the US government’s plans should prompt us to focus more on these courageous reporters. They provide us with information from regions where there might otherwise be no reliable neutral sources. This is crucial, especially in these volatile times.