Suche
Mein Konto
Trump fires employees from US foreign broadcasters – a shock for the media world!
US government under Trump lays off employees of foreign broadcasters. Impact on independent reporting and media freedom.
Trump fires employees from US foreign broadcasters – a shock for the media world!
In a surprising move, the US government under President Donald Trump on Saturday furloughed hundreds of employees of US foreign broadcasters, including Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe. According to information from oe24 The affected journalists and employees received an email informing them of their immediate withdrawal of access to offices. They had to return press cards, work phones and other equipment. A decree to this effect was signed on Friday, leading to widespread fears that the independence of these broadcasters is at risk.
Stephen Capus, the head of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, strongly criticized the decision, calling it a “great gift to America’s enemies.” He emphasized that autocratic governments such as those in Iran and China would benefit from the withdrawal. This comes at a time when these broadcasters, which have focused on reporting on Russia and China since the end of the Cold War, have an important contribution to make to freedom of information. After all, Radio Free Asia has been in operation since 1996 and aims to provide uncensored reports from countries without free media.
Reforms and powerful shifts
In addition to the layoffs, Lake, Voice of America's designated head, is seeking reforms. However, these are tied to confirmation by the International Broadcasting Advisory Board, whose members Trump recently dismissed. In her statement, she explained that she wanted to transform the channel so that it would be supported by the American people Deutschlandfunk reported. Historically, Voice of America was founded to spread democratic values after World War II. However, critics complain that reporting has recently been modified in order not to portray President Trump too critically. The independence of these broadcasters, according to their charter, is now being severely questioned, raising concerns among political observers.