Trump’s Media Cuts Endanger Global Press Freedom, Warns RSF

The Trump administration’s recent funding cuts to U.S.-backed media outlets, including Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), have raised serious concerns about journalist safety and press freedom worldwide.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has warned that these cuts put nine imprisoned journalists at greater risk while threatening thousands more who report from authoritarian regimes. The layoffs follow President Trump’s executive order targeting the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees independent reporting in countries with restricted press environments.

RSF’s Director General Thibaut Bruttin stated that the move empowers authoritarian regimes like China and Russia while leaving independent journalists vulnerable. European media organizations, including France Médias Monde and Germany’s Deutsche Welle, have also condemned the decision, calling it a major setback for global press freedom.

The cuts come as governments worldwide tighten restrictions on media, with Russia recently labeling RFE/RL an “undesirable organization.” Critics argue that the U.S. is abandoning its role as a defender of free press, risking the loss of vital independent news sources in regions dominated by state-controlled propaganda.