Trump cuts funding to pro-democracy media, including news from northern Russia
Sever.Realii and Sibir.Realii have fought censorship and exposed regional misconduct, but are now facing financial uncertainties as Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order that aims to reduce, or possible eliminate, the US Agency for Global Media.
Sever.realii is Radio Free Europe’s northwestern Russia service, while Sibir.Realli is the service covering the vast remote regions east of the Urals, including indigenous peoples issues.
As part of Radio Free Europe, are both listed as "undesirable organisations" by Russia's Procurator General. That means they, like the Barents Observer, The Moscow Times and SOTA, are banned from operating in Russia. Anyone who work to with them faces up to six years in prison and administrative fines. The designation also makes it a crime to distribute the media's content or donate to them, from inside or outside Russia.
On Friday, March 14, the Kremlin got a new ally in fighting free and truthful media publishing in Russian language.
The order, signed by Donald Trump, said "each governmental entity listed shall submit a report to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget confirming full compliance with this order and explaining which components or functions of the governmental entity, if any, are statutorily required and to what extent."
One of the entities listed is US Agency for Global Media, which for the last 75 years have financed Radio Free Europe and its affiliated news outlets covering Russia, Belarus, former Soviet occupied and Moscow controlled countries.
Radio Free Europe is headquartered in Prague, the Czech Republic.
On Saturday, the media got a letter from the Agency for Global Media informing about the termination of the grant. It is unclear for how many days more, if any, journalists will get paid.
“The cancellation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s grant agreement would be a missive gift to America’s enemies,” writes Stephen Capus, CEO of Radio Free Europe in a statement.
“Autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise,” Capus added.
Radio Free Asia and Voice of America (VOA) are two other news organisations funded by the Agency for Global Media. More than 1,300 employees with Voice of America were placed on leave on Saturday, Reuters reported.
In addition to Russia and Central Asia, VOA broadcasts to China and North Korea. The VOA was established in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda.
Reporters Without Borders condemns the decision by the Trump administration.
"Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expresses deep concern over this decision from theS Trump administration, a move that threatens press freedom worldwide and negates 80 years of American history in supporting a free flow of information," says Thibaut Bruttin, General Director of RSF.
He adds: "RSF calls on the U.S. government to immediately respect the autonomy of VOA as an independent news organization and to cancel this decision."
