The White House’s executive order to dismantle Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty sent shockwaves through the media landscape from Prague to Addis Ababa. Endalekachew Haile Michael, a media researcher based in the United States, highlighted the significance of VOA for Ethiopia and the Trump administration’s stance on media institutions. VOA began broadcasting in 1942 and was initially aimed at countering Nazi propaganda. Due to US cuts, European broadcasters like DW and France Medias Monde have called for action to fill the void left by retreating US state-funded international broadcasting. The National Security Council is reportedly working on a strategy to counter “foreign propaganda” by empowering the federal government to “counter disinformation and propaganda” from worldwide adversaries.

US cuts already shook Africa’s media landscape

However, for African media, the dismantling of the VOA, which operated across 13 African nations, is just the latest blow to pro-democracy media. Funding cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and other foreign assistance programs have indirectly impacted media, from training to fact-checking teams to publishers. The US sent $12.7 billion of $41 billion to sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, while African nations benefited from US-funded global programs to fight diseases like HIV/Aids. Nancy Booker, a professor of journalism and media and communication, described the funding cuts as having a knock-on effect reaching programs beyond the US government.

A media industry insider in Tanzania, speaking on condition of anonymity, said media funding was just one component of a donor-funded ecosystem that has been upended practically overnight. The cuts could also have an impact on job losses for journalists and their dependents and businesses cropped up around donor-funded NGOs.

A strategic mistake?

The dismantling of VOA and cuts to aid programs that supported independent media have been slammed in the US and criticized on the continent. For Ethiopian journalism, Endalekachew Haile Michael said the first casualty will be “losing fact-based reporting.” US critics decried the cuts as dangerous for press freedom and a strategic mistake. Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said, “the only people cheering for this are adversaries and authoritarians around the world, where press freedoms are nonexistent.” 

The way forward

For decades, the presence of donor funding helped build up journalistic capacity in terms of training, fact-checking and human rights reporting. The suddenness of the US decision caught many media houses off guard. The need for quick adjustments does not leave too many alternatives, with local and national governments already short on funding. 

Some observers believe that despite the current shocks, the cuts could kickstart a drive for African media funding that is not reliant on donor funding. If we can make the case to audiences that we are worth paying for, we could be on track for a much more sustainable future.