The report detailed that the USAGM’s “reduction in operations was done without a detailed analysis of the cost or the impact on the organization’s overall mission.”

“…what Trump and his appointee, Kari Lake, unleashed was not reform but a rushed dismantling with little clarity about what the law required and what America needed.” Opinion by Muhammad Tahir ⬇️

“Like Stripes, Voice of America received government funding even as it sometimes reported unfavorably on the government.” Read more ⬇️

“The obscene waste of taxpayer money is sickening, but it hurts even more to know we destroyed our own soft power. How could you lose an audience of 360 million?” said Patsy Widakuswara, VOA’s former White House bureau chief.

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🧵 That feeling when the government’s own watchdog validates what you’ve been saying all along: you cannot dismantle U.S. international broadcasting without a plan! (1 of 3)

"The report says USAGM could not show it weighed costs and benefits, used reliable data, updated its strategic plan, or planned for its workforce."

“The cuts reduced the agency’s ability to inform audiences worldwide and counter disinformation in countries with restricted access to independent news, according to the evaluation, which was published last week and publicized Tuesday.”

Former U.S. ambassadors know what the Voice of America means to people around the world. For the better part of a century, VOA has reached audiences living under authoritarian regimes — people who turned to its broadcasts because they could not trust state-controlled media.

China and Moscow are expanding their propaganda campaigns worldwide, using similar playbooks and amplifying each other’s narratives. Meanwhile, VOA remains greatly diminished, reducing the United States’ presence in the global information space. 1/2

“The reduction in operations diminished USAGM’s capacity to fulfill its core statutory mission of informing, engaging, and connecting people worldwide in support of freedom and democracy.“

Trump “has also sought to kneecap or muzzle government-supported media with track records of honest reporting,” including VOA.

“A federal judge earlier this year ordered the agency to reinstate hundreds of workers who were placed on leave and invalidated Lake's actions, creating uncertainty around the status of the lease.”