US to cut over 500 jobs at government-funded broadcasters Including Voice of America

The United States plans to eliminate more than 500 jobs at government-funded international broadcasting organisations, including Voice of America (VOA).

The decision was announced by Kari Lake, the acting head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Caliber.Az reports per American media.

“We are conducting this reduction in force (RIF) at the president’s direction, to cut federal bureaucracy, improve the agency’s performance, and save more of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars,” Lake said in a statement.

She added that despite the downsizing, “USAGM will continue to fulfill its statutory mission — and likely improve its ability to function and deliver truth to people around the world living under murderous communist governments and other tyrannical regimes.”

The cuts come amid ongoing legal disputes over the future of these outlets. The announcement followed just one day after a federal judge blocked Lake’s attempt to remove Michael Abramowitz from his post as director of Voice of America.

By Khagan Isayev