France Médias Monde and Deutsche Welle express deep concern over the US decision to suspend USAGM employees and funding

France Médias Monde (FMM) and Deutsche Welle (DW) are alarmed by the US administration’s decision on 15 March to halt funding for American public international media, including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia. This move threatens to deprive millions of people worldwide of a vital source of balanced and verified information—especially in countries where independent journalism is scarce or nonexistent. By weakening this crucial safeguard against disinformation and manipulation, the decision endangers global media freedom.

This action is particularly concerning given the United States’ long-standing role as a champion of press freedom and professional journalism within the DG8* and beyond. At a time of increasing global polarisation, the need for independent, multilingual, and pluralistic journalism has never been more critical. The abrupt nature of this decision only heightens concerns over its impact.

While FMM and DW remain committed to their mission, they recognise the broader risks posed by the potential loss of their American counterpart in the shared pursuit of democracy and free expression. They stand in full solidarity with their colleagues at the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), many of whom may now face the difficult prospect of leaving the United States and returning to their home countries.

This decision underscores, once again, the urgent need to defend the European model of independent public service media—embodied by the continent’s international broadcasters—and to secure the long-term sustainability of their funding.

*About the DG8 

The DG8 comprises eight international public service media organizations from Australia (ABC International), Canada (CBC/Radio-Canada), France (France Médias Monde), Germany (Deutsche Welle), Japan (NHK WORLD-JAPAN), Switzerland (SRG SSR), the United Kingdom (BBC World Service), and the United States (U.S. Agency for Global Media). Collectively, DG8 members generate more than 1.5 billion user contacts every week in more than 75 languages, giving them a significant journalistic impact worldwide.