Editing Voice of America (section)

=== Second Trump administration ===
In December 2024, Donald Trump, as president-elect, announced [[Kari Lake]] would be his choice for VOA Director. Lake had called for imprisoning journalists whose reporting she called "lies",<ref name="ElectionLies">{{Cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Dale |date=October 16, 2021 |title=Fact-checking Kari Lake, serial promoter of election lies and early frontrunner in GOP primary for Arizona governor |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/16/politics/fact-check-kari-lake-arizona-governor-election-lies/index.html |access-date=October 17, 2021 |publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> called for imprisoning a political opponent,<ref name="ElectionLies" />
lost elections for Arizona governor and senator, advanced false claims around both her and Trump's election losses and left her previous job with the Phoenix, Arizona, affiliate of [[Fox News]] after controversies including spreading [[COVID-19 misinformation]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Treisman |first1=Rachel |last2=Folkenflik |first2=David |date=12 December 2024 |title=Trump says Kari Lake will lead Voice of America. He attacked it during his first term |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/12/12/nx-s1-5226920/voice-of-america-kari-lake-voa |access-date=14 December 2024 |publisher=National Public Radio}}</ref> Though the president may make a nomination, under the International Broadcasting Act only the [[U.S. Agency for Global Media#International_Broadcasting_Advisory_Board|International Broadcasting Advisory Board]] has the authority to approve the appointment or removal of the VOA Director.<ref name="auto4">{{cite web |title=Statute, ByLaws, and Functions |url=https://www.ibab.gov/about-us/statute-bylaws-and-functions/ |access-date=14 December 2024 |website=www.ibab.gov |publisher=International Broadcasting Advisory Board}}</ref><ref name="auto3">{{cite news |last1=VOA News |title=Trump names Kari Lake as choice for VOA director |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-names-kari-lake-as-choice-for-voa-director/7899195.html |access-date=14 December 2024 |publisher=Voice of America}}</ref> 

In February 2025, [[Elon Musk]], the functional leader of DOGE,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Shalal |first1=Andrea |last2=Bose |first2=Nandita |date=February 20, 2025 |title=Trump appears to contradict White House, says Elon Musk in charge of DOGE |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-appears-contradict-white-house-says-elon-musk-charge-doge-2025-02-20/ |access-date=March 23, 2025 |website=Reuters}}</ref> called for VoA and [[Radio Free Europe]] to shut down,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pravda |first1=Ukrainska |author-link1= |date=February 9, 2025 |title=Elon Musk calls for Radio Free Europe and Voice of America to be shut down |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-calls-shutting-down-171116744.html |url-access= |access-date=March 7, 2025 |work= |publisher=Yahoo! Finance |location= |publication-place= |publication-date=February 9, 2025 |arxiv= |asin= |asin-tld= |bibcode= |doi= |isbn= |issn= |jfm= |jstor= |lccn= |mr= |oclc= |ol= |osti= |pmc= |pmid= |rfc= |ssrn= |zbl= |id= |quote=American billionaire Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has called for the US-funded radio stations Radio Free Europe and Voice of America to be shut down. |trans-quote= |bibcode-access= |doi-access= |hdl-access= |jstor-access= |ol-access= |osti-access= |script-work= |trans-work= |biorxiv= |citeseerx= |eissn= |hdl= |ismn= |medrxiv= |pmc-embargo-date= |sbn= |s2cid= |s2cid-access= |archive-format= |quote-page= |quote-pages= |script-quote=}}</ref> coming after previously made suggestions by other government officials to shutter the agency.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Robinson |first1=Dan |author-link1= |date=February 11, 2016 |title=Shut Down the Voice of America? |script-title= |trans-title= |url=https://www.uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/shut-down-voice-america |url-access= |access-date=March 7, 2025 |publisher=USC Center on Public Diplomacy |publication-place= |publication-date=February 11, 2016 |via= |arxiv= |asin= |asin-tld= |bibcode= |doi= |isbn= |issn= |jfm= |jstor= |lccn= |mr= |oclc= |ol= |osti= |pmc= |pmid= |rfc= |ssrn= |zbl= |id= |quote= |trans-quote= |bibcode-access= |doi-access= |hdl-access= |jstor-access= |ol-access= |osti-access= |trans-work= |biorxiv= |citeseerx= |eissn= |hdl= |ismn= |medrxiv= |pmc-embargo-date= |sbn= |s2cid= |s2cid-access= |archive-format= |quote-page= |quote-pages= |script-quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Belida |first1=Alex |author-link1= |name-list-style= |date=February 11, 2017 |title=The Fate of VOA in the Balance |script-title= |trans-title= |url=https://www.uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/fate-voa-balance |url-access= |access-date=March 7, 2025 |publisher=USC Center on Public Diplomacy |edition= |publication-place= |publication-date=February 11, 2017 |via= |arxiv= |asin= |asin-tld= |bibcode= |doi= |isbn= |issn= |jfm= |jstor= |lccn= |mr= |oclc= |ol= |osti= |pmc= |pmid= |rfc= |ssrn= |zbl= |id= |quote= |trans-quote= |bibcode-access= |doi-access= |hdl-access= |jstor-access= |ol-access= |osti-access= |title-link= |trans-work= |biorxiv= |citeseerx= |eissn= |hdl= |ismn= |medrxiv= |pmc-embargo-date= |sbn= |s2cid= |s2cid-access= |archive-format= |quote-page= |quote-pages= |script-quote=}}</ref> In February and March 2025, it was reported that at VOA, a chief national correspondent was placed on paid absence and veteran reporter [[Patsy Widakuswara]] was reassigned from the White House [[Beat (journalism)|beat]].<ref name=":5" /> Widakuswara had been given the same reassignment during the first Trump administration, which was reversed under Biden.<ref name="Beitsch 2021">{{Cite news |last=Beitsch |first=Rebecca |date=January 22, 2021 |title=VOA reinstates White House reporter reassigned after questioning Pompeo |url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/535387-voa-reinstates-white-house-reporter-reassigned-for-questioning-pompeo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023061637/https://thehill.com/policy/international/535387-voa-reinstates-white-house-reporter-reassigned-for-questioning-pompeo |archive-date=October 23, 2021 |access-date=23 October 2021 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]}}</ref> At the same time, it was also reported that at least two articles containing criticism of Trump were not published or were changed after publication. A Trump administration official, [[Richard Grenell]], called the VOA chief correspondent's comments "[[treason|treasonous]]" in a post on X.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Enrich |first1=David |last2=Kim |first2=Minho |date=2025-02-28 |title=Voice of America Journalists Face Investigations for Trump Comments |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/business/media/voice-of-america-trump.html |access-date=2025-03-16 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Folkenflik |first=David |author-link=David Folkenflik |date=2025-03-01 |title=Voice of America bias inquiry sparks concerns of political meddling |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/03/01/g-s1-51489/voice-of-america-bias-inquiry |access-date=2025-03-16 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:VOA Burmese Myanmar Evening 2025-03-15.webm|thumb|VOA Burmese goes dark at 21:00 Myanmar Time on March 15, 2025 as a result of staff reductions and lockouts.]]
On the night of March 14, Trump signed an [[executive order]], calling the agency "the Voice of Radical America" and reducing the functions of several agencies including the U.S. Agency for Global Media to the minimum required by law.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-15 |title=Trump signs order to gut staff at Voice of America and other US-funded media organizations |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-voice-of-america-cuts-3faf72e620dbc5f42e5508a2b9d8c8da |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-15 |title=Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/continuing-the-reduction-of-the-federal-bureaucracy/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}</ref> The next day, all employees could not access VOA headquarters, and many VOA foreign language broadcasts replaced news and other regularly scheduled programming with music.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last1=Schick |first1=Camilla |last2=Gómez |first2=Fin Daniel |last3=Jiang |first3=Weijia |date=2025-03-17 |title=Voice of America's full-time staff and contractors placed on leave following Trump directive |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-signs-order-to-cut-staff-at-voice-of-america-media/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=[[CBS News]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="silentCNN" /><ref name="SilentNYT" /> More than 1,300 Voice of America employees were placed on leave.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="silentCNN" /><ref name=":3" /> VOA has also set about ending contracts with the [[Associated Press]], [[Reuters]] and [[Agence France-Presse]]. [[Kari Lake]], the special advisor to the USAGM selected by Trump, estimated ending these contracts would save $53 million.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Bauder |first=David |date=2025-03-14 |title=Voice of America ending contracts with Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France Presse |url=https://apnews.com/article/voa-government-media-contracts-2bd47cf0c1bbcdc5cbe08eea030c1454 |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Michael Abramowitz, the director of VOA, said in a [[Facebook]] post on March 15, that he was also placed on leave, along with “virtually the entire staff” of 1,300. The announcement came exactly 24 hours after President Trump signed an executive order to gut VOA’s parent agency as well as the network having a move to terminate contracts with [[The Associated Press]], [[Reuters]], and [[Agence France-Presse]].<ref name=":4" /> Some of VOA’s local-language radio stations have stopped broadcasting news reports and switched over to music automation to fill the airtime.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stelter |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Stelter |date=2025-03-15 |title=Voice of America channels fall silent as Trump administration guts agency and cancels contracts |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/15/media/voice-of-america-trump-cuts/index.html |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=CNN Business |language=en}}</ref> The decision to cut the service, which has primarily served to counter propaganda in authoritarian countries, was met with praise from Russian state media pundits and condemnation by [[Reporters Without Borders]], who said it sends a "chilling signal" to China and Russia that they "now have free rein to spread their propaganda unchecked."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sanger |first=David E. |date=2025-03-22 |title=How Elon Musk's DOGE Cuts Leave a Vacuum That China Can Fill |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/us/politics/elon-musk-doge-china.html |access-date=2025-03-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-17 |title=Russian TV celebrates Trump's "awesome" move to shut down Voice of America |url=https://www.newsweek.com/russian-tv-trump-shut-down-voice-america-2045867 |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-17 |title=VOA journalists sound off on 'betrayal' after Trump dismantles broadcaster |url=https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-media-voice-america-bloody-saturday-b2716583.html |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>

In response, lawsuits were filed against the Trump administration in March 2025. One lawsuit noted that some VOA employees were foreign nationals with J-1 visas and faced risks to their safety if they were forced to return to their home countries if their visas were to be revoked due to loss of employment. In March 2025, the [[District Court for the Southern District of New York]] issued a temporary restraining order, preventing the Trump administration from carrying out any further actions resulting from the executive order, including terminating staff, ending contracts or closing offices.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.justsecurity.org/109984/voice-of-america-litigation/ | title=Unpacking the Voice of America Litigation | date=April 10, 2025 }}</ref><ref>https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/3-Widakuswara-v-Kari-Lake-tro.pdf</ref>

On April 22, 2025, a federal ruling from the [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia]] ordered the Trump administration to restore VOA and return its employees and contractors to work.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Feng |first=Emily |date=2025-04-22 |title=Judge blocks Trump administration plans to dismantle Voice of America |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/04/22/nx-s1-5372530/voa-trump-radio-free-asia |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref> On May 3, the [[United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit|Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit]] blocked the ruling in a 2-1 decision citing a lack of jurisdiction by the district court.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shepardson |first=David |date=May 3, 2025 |title=US court halts ruling ordering Voice of America employees back to work |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-court-halts-ruling-ordering-voice-america-employees-back-work-2025-05-03/ |access-date=May 4, 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

On May 6, 2025, Kari Lake announced that [[One America News]] (OAN), a [[far-right]], pro-Trump network known for promoting [[conspiracy theories]], will provide news coverage for VOA.<ref name="guard-7may2025"/><ref name=CNN/>