From Ukraine to Afghanistan, independent media organizations worldwide are facing staff layoffs and closures following the loss of USAID funding. Media groups have warned that Donald Trump’s freeze on foreign aid will lead to a decline in independent media outlets globally, resulting in a surge of misinformation and benefiting state propagandists.
The U.S. president has suspended billions of dollars in USAid-supported projects, including over $268 million earmarked for “independent media and the free flow of information.” A USAid fact sheet, accessed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) before being removed, revealed that in 2023, the agency funded training for 6,200 journalists, supported 707 non-state news outlets, and aided 279 civil society organizations dedicated to strengthening independent media in over 30 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, and Russia.
RSF described Trump’s decision as sowing “chaos and confusion.” Clayton Weimers, RSF US executive director, stated, “Non-profit newsrooms and media organizations have already had to cease operations and lay off staff. The most likely scenario is that after the 90-day freeze, they will disappear forever.” In Ukraine, where oligarchs have historically controlled much of the media, 90% of outlets rely on subsidies, with USAID being the primary donor, according to RSF.
“It’s a very dangerous moment,” said Anna Babinets, CEO and co-founder of Kyiv-based investigative platform Slidstvo.info, which has lost 80% of its funding from groups previously supported by USAID. “We are having to consider cutting frontline reporting and war-crime coverage—this means the people of Ukraine, and the world, will know less about what is happening here.”
Trump has made unsubstantiated claims that billions were stolen from USAid to fund favorable coverage of his opponents in what he calls the “fake news media.” Meanwhile, Elon Musk labeled USAid a “criminal organization,” accusing it of paying media to “publish their propaganda.”
Valerii Garmash, head of Make Sense, which develops independent media in Ukraine and received nearly 50% of its funding for its Сайт Слов'янська 6262.com.ua - головні новини і події міста website from USAid, said their projects have started shutting down. “We are 24km from the frontline and provide spaces for journalists to prepare before they go there—these spaces have now had to close. Without the money, we have to work like volunteers,” he explained.
Weimers warned that a decline in independent news outlets could lead to a surge in misinformation. “Chaos creates a vacuum, and when reliable sources of information are removed, that vacuum will be filled by less reliable sources, such as state propagandists,” he said. “Just look at those praising this move: leaders in China, Russia, Hungary, and El Salvador—countries known for severe human rights violations, particularly against their press.”
Cabinets noted that since the funding freeze was announced, anonymous Telegram channels and unnamed websites have sought to discredit USAid-funded media in Ukraine. “We’ve seen many fake stories claiming we’re not journalists but spies. It aligns with the Russian narrative,” she said.
In Belarus, Natalia Belikova of Press Club Belarus said 70% of her organization’s funding came from U.S. federal sources, and the cuts have pushed it to “the brink of existence.” Belarus has intensified its persecution of journalists in recent years, forcing hundreds into exile. A February survey by Press Club Belarus found that 60% of the country’s media budgets relied on U.S. funding. “They are at risk of fading away and gradually disappearing,” Belikova said.
Belikova emphasized the critical role of independent reporting in informing Belarusians about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “This decision benefits authoritarian regimes,” she said. “If Belarusian independent media disappears, people will only have state propaganda. Without alternatives, it will gradually shape their minds, and we could see a very different society in just a few years.”
Experts fear investigative journalism, which often requires significant time and resources, will be hit hardest by the USAID cuts. The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), known for its involvement in global investigations like the Panama Papers, said 29% of its funding had been frozen, forcing it to lay off 20% of its staff. “There simply isn’t enough funding for global investigative journalism,” a spokesperson said. “Without it, people won’t know what’s happening in the hidden underworld of crime and corruption.”
Drew Sullivan, OCCRP co-founder and publisher, said other organizations are hesitant to fill the gap. “Elon Musk’s disinformation attacks against groups like ours are scaring legitimate institutions, and they’re not acting. You can’t be afraid of bullies, or they win,” he said.
In Colombia, Dora Montero Carvajal, president of Consejo de Redacción, an organization strengthening investigative journalism in Colombia and Latin America, said many crucial investigations had been possible “thanks to USAid resources.” “Several projects, especially those related to political issues ahead of the upcoming elections, have been suspended or canceled,” she said.
Alain Rafael Dueñas Estévez, a Cuban photographer working in Argentina, said the cuts have directly impacted Cuban independent media. “Many rely on scholarships and financing, and they’ve lost their jobs overnight,” he said.
The freeze has also disrupted media operations in Africa. DataCameroon, an investigative platform, told RSF it had to pause projects, including one on journalist safety and another covering Cameroon’s upcoming presidential election.
Rawan Damen, director of Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, which operates across the Middle East and North Africa, said the organization lost $400,000 due to the USAid freeze.
In Iran, a contributor to Mamlekate, a citizen journalism group, said USAID funding was vital for documenting human rights abuses and supporting civil society during recent protests. “This aid provided secure communication tools like VPNs. Cutting it doesn’t improve efficiency—it weakens critical efforts supporting people inside Iran,” they said.
In Afghanistan, where the Taliban imposes severe restrictions on media freedom, independent journalists have contributed to Afghan outlets abroad. Shafi Karimi, founder of the Afghan Journalists in Exile Network, said, “Many of my journalist friends inside the country have lost their jobs, and several media outlets are at risk of closing. They relied on U.S. funding, and without it, their future is uncertain.”
In Myanmar, one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists, media outlets heavily depend on donor funding, particularly from the U.S. Many journalists fled into exile after the 2021 military coup, which sparked widespread opposition and an armed uprising. Journalists documenting the conflict and military abuses face a “terror campaign,” according to Toe Zaw Latt of the Independent Press Council Myanmar. He estimated that about 200 journalists would be affected by the funding freeze. “They were already paid very little and barely surviving. Without a salary, I can’t imagine how they’ll manage,” he said.
Several organizations declined to comment on how the freeze has impacted them, fearing it could jeopardize long-term funding or invite political backlash.
Kiran Nazish, founding director of the Coalition for Women in Journalism, said, “Small independent newsrooms, often facing real-life threats from populist leaders and local populations, are now anxious—not only about closures and halted operations but also potential retaliation.”
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