Fact Check: "VOA’s Persian service had been shut down as a part of President Donald Trump’s March 15 executive order dismantling U.S.-backed global media."
What We Know
On March 15, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that significantly impacted the Voice of America (VOA) and its parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). This order led to the suspension of operations for many employees, including those working in VOA's Persian service, which primarily serves audiences in Iran (source-1, source-2). Reports indicated that the majority of VOA staff were placed on paid administrative leave, effectively halting broadcasts and operations (source-3, source-4).
Subsequently, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocked the dismantling of VOA, stating that the Trump administration's actions were "arbitrary and capricious" and likely violated federal laws (source-3). Despite this legal intervention, the Persian service had already been affected by the executive order prior to the injunction.
Analysis
The claim that VOA's Persian service was shut down as a result of President Trump's executive order is substantiated by multiple sources. The executive order indeed led to the suspension of operations for the Persian service, along with other language services provided by VOA (source-1, source-6). However, the situation is nuanced due to the subsequent legal actions taken by VOA employees, which resulted in a federal judge blocking the dismantling efforts (source-3).
The reliability of the sources used in this analysis is generally high. The New York Times and NPR are reputable news organizations known for their journalistic standards. The Reuters report also provides a credible account of the events surrounding the executive order. However, it is important to note that the political context surrounding these events may introduce some bias, particularly in the framing of the executive order's implications.
Conclusion
The claim that "VOA’s Persian service had been shut down as a part of President Donald Trump’s March 15 executive order dismantling U.S.-backed global media" is Partially True. While the executive order did lead to the suspension of the Persian service, subsequent legal actions have temporarily blocked the dismantling of VOA. Thus, while the service was indeed affected, it has not been permanently shut down, and efforts are underway to restore its operations.
Sources
- Voice of America Recalls Staff for Iranian Language News ... (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/us/politics/voice-of-america-farsi-iran-news.html)
- Voice of America staff put on leave, Trump ally says agency ... (https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trump-signs-order-gut-voice-america-other-agencies-2025-03-15/)
- Judge blocks Trump administration plans to dismantle ... (https://www.npr.org/2025/04/22/nx-s1-5372530/voa-trump-radio-free-asia)
- 'Bloody Saturday' at Voice of America and Radio Free Asia (https://www.npr.org/2025/03/15/nx-s1-5329244/bloody-saturday-voiceofamerica-radio-free-asia-europe-trump-kari-lake)
- 如何用收音机（德生）在国内收听BBC、VOA？ - 知乎 (https://www.zhihu.com/question/280270981)
- US scrambles to bring back VOA's Persian service amid ... (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/13/voa-persian-service-iran-israel-00406092)
