US Media Outlet Voice of America, or VOA shutdown of US President Donald Trump has had a particularly strong impact in countries such as Turkey where the press independence has been in danger for a long time.As a result of defaming the International News Service funded by the US government on 14 March, the organization has effectively stopped operations. News websites in all languages have not been updated for more than two months.Television and radio broadcasts have either completely closed or have turned into music-cavalry programming.Before suspending the service, VOA, which was often one of the rare sources of sensor news in countries such as Turkey, aired in 49 languages for an estimated weekly audiences of 354 million people worldwide.
Restricted in Turkish
Turkey, where about 90% of the major media outlets are government-controlled, the VOA’s Turkish-language website has been banned in 2022, as well as with all the language versions of Dutch Velle, or DW. Since then, VOA had been trying to reach its audience in Turkey through a “Mirror” website, which reproduced the contents of the original platform, until Trump completely shut down the broadcaster in the mid -March.Without media rights group journalists, or RSF, rank Turkey at 159th in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, citing the ongoing repression of journalists to Turkey. There are currently 17 journalists in jail in Türkiye.RSF Turkish representative Erol Onderoglu told DW that international media organizations such as VOA, BBC and DW have emerged as “creative” role models in recent years, as the country’s rapid polarly polarized press environment has seen significant decline in quality and freedom.Turkish language services of international broadcasters gained prominence as independent media in Türkiye has decreased. Their news rooms are based abroad, but language services also appoint a small number of reporters within the country.“VOA has also played an important role in opening Turkish civil society movement and the voice of the journalism community in the outside world and breaking the effects of separation,” said Onderoglu.VOA Türkiye was one of the most important sources for the audience in Türkiye, especially about the development between Ankara and Washington.One of the VOA Turkish audience told DW, “Whenever there was any development in the US, which could put the Erdogan government in a difficult position – for example, an allegation that could cause restrictions on Turkey on Iran – the first website that I would investigate, that was VOA,” One of the VOA audience told the DW.
Journalist at risk
Following Trump’s decision to stop the federal amount of VOA’s original agency, about 1,300 employees of most news service in Washington were placed as the first step towards the end of administrative holiday.A group of VOA employees, affected by the executive order of March, have filed a case against the Trump administration accusing the chairman of the Executive Overch. In early May, a federal appeal court blocked a decision that ordered the Trump administration to bring VOA employees back to work.Following the appeal court’s decision on World Press Freedom Day, the Trump administration has intensified efforts to carry out the layoffs.Around 600 contractors receiving the ending notice on 15 May were directed to return their press credentials, badges and other VOA property by 30 May. Some affected employees are J -1 visa holders and face adjacent exile, with only 30 days to leave America.VOA director Michael Abramovitz, also one of the plaintiffs in the court case, said many of those journalists have survived atrocities to tell the story of America’s freedom and democracy in their home countries. “On Thursday, Abramovitz said that after the appeal court rejected the request of N Batch review, the decision of May 3 was effective, a complete reconsideration by all eleven judges – and warned that the Trump administration could push for further layoffs.
An unwanted ‘voice’ silent
Speaking to DW, a Turkey -based VOA employee recalled the day when the broadcaster suddenly shut down: “Our colleagues in Washington were asked to vacate their offices during the working hours. His badge was confiscated. He did not even wait for the end of the day. The news operation suddenly stopped. We could not even complete the reports on which we were working. ,Journalists, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the VOA stood out rapidly under the pressure of “a powerful rule” in the atmosphere of the media.“It was considered as a threat by the ruling party, which was facing both access ban and smear operations by pro -government outlets targeting VOA employees. In this sense, it is likely that the government welcomed the VOA’s bandh, “he said. The VOA has also produced critical broadcasts of US governments, stated: “For example, when experts criticized the US in the analysis of Turkish-American relations, such comments were never censored.”
Trump’s ‘war’ on journalism
Antony Bernard, director of advocacy and strategic litigation at RSF, told DW that Trump’s attempts to close the VOA should be understood in a big context of “his war on the press”.He said, “He has targeted public media funding, initiated politically inspired investigation into the media, and the journalists of the White House have banned to refuse to use the exact words that they want they want to use them. Quite easily, he does not tolerate independent media”, he said.The RSF recently warned of “a dangerous decline in press freedom” in the US under President Trump. The organization highlighted how Trump extended already difficult situations by cutting US financial aid for state-funded broadcasters such as VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).Earlier this month, Trump has so far signed another executive order, seeking to reduce the US public broadcasting service, or funding for PBS and National Public Radio, or NPR. The Trump administration also launched the Federal Communication Commission investigation in major media outlets including ABC News, CBS News, PBS and NPR.
