USA: Trump’s foreign aid freeze throws journalism around the world into chaos

Since the new American president announced the freeze of U.S. foreign aid, USAID (United States Agency for International Development) has been in turmoil: its website is inaccessible, its X account has been suspended, the agency's headquarters was closed and employees told to stay home. Elon Musk, whom Trump chose to lead the quasi-official Department of Government Efficiency, called USAID a “criminal organization” and said, “We’re shutting down.” Later that day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he was named acting director of the agency, suggesting its operations were being moved to the State Department.

Almost immediately after the freeze went into effect, journalistic organizations around the world that receive American aid funding started reaching out to RSF expressing confusion, chaos, and uncertainty. The affected organizations include large international NGOs that support independent media like the International Fund for Public Interest Media and smaller, individual media outlets serving audiences living under repressive conditions in countries like Iran and Russia.

“The American aid funding freeze is sowing chaos around the world, including in journalism. The programs that have been frozen provide vital support to projects that strengthen media, transparency, and democracy. President Trump justified this order by charging – without evidence – that a so-called ‘foreign aid industry’ is not aligned with U.S. interests. The tragic irony is that this measure will create a vacuum that plays into the hands of propagandists and authoritarian states. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appealing to the international public and private funders to commit to the sustainability of independent media.”

Clayton Weimers

Executive Director, RSF USA

USAID programs support independent media in more than 30 countries, but it is difficult to assess the full extent of the harm done to the global media. Many organizations are hesitant to draw attention for fear of risking long-term funding or coming under political attacks. According to a USAID fact sheet which has since been taken offline, in 2023, the agency funded training and support for 6,200 journalists, assisted 707 non-state news outlets, and supported 279 media-sector civil society organizations dedicated to strengthening independent media. The 2025 foreign aid budget included $268,376,000 allocated by Congress to support “independent media and the free flow of information.”

All over the world, media outlets and organizations have had to halt some of their activities overnight. "We have articles scheduled until the end of January, but after that, if we haven’t found solutions, we won’t be able to publish anymore," explains a journalist from a Belarusian exiled media outlet who wished to remain anonymous. In Cameroon, the funding freeze forced DataCameroon, a public interest media outlet based in the capital Douala, to put several projects on hold, including one focused on journalist safety and another covering the upcoming presidential election. An exiled Iranian media outlet that preferred to remain anonymous was forced to suspend collaboration with its staff for three months and slash salaries to a bare minimum to survive. An exiled Iranian journalist interviewed by RSF warns that the impact of the funding freeze could silence some of the last remaining free voices, creating a vacuum that Iranian state propaganda would inevitably fill. "Shutting us off will mean that they’ll have more power,” she says. 

In Ukraine, 9 out of 10 media outlets rely on USAID funding

In Ukraine, where 9 out of 10 media outlets rely on USAID funding, several local media have already announced the suspension of their activities and are searching for alternative solutions. "At Slidstvo.Info, 80% of our budget is affected," says Anna Babinets, CEO and co-founder of this independent investigative media outlet based in Kyiv. 

The risk of this suspension is that it could open the door to other sources of funding that may seek to alter the editorial line and independence of these media. "Some media might be shut down or bought by businessmen or oligarchs. I think Russian money will enter the market. And government propaganda will, of course, intensify," Babinets says. RSF has already witnessed the direct effects of such propaganda: a fabricated video, falsely branded with our organization’s logo, claimed we welcomed the suspension of USAID funding for Ukrainian media — a stance RSF has never endorsed. This is not the first instance of such disinformation.

Finding alternatives quickly

This situation highlights the financial fragility of the sector. According to Oleh Dereniuha, editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian local media outlet NikVesti, based in Mykolaiv, a city in South-East Ukraine, “The suspension of U.S. funding is just the tip of the iceberg — a key case that illustrates the severity of the situation.” Since 2024, independent Ukrainian media outlets have found securing financial sustainability nearly impossible due to the decline in donors. As a result, even minor budget cuts could put these media outlets in a precarious position. A recent RSF report stresses the need to focus on the economic recovery of the independent Ukrainian media landscape, weakened by the large-scale Russian invasion of February 24, 2022, which RSF’s study estimates to be at least $96 million over three years.

Moreover, beyond the decline in donor support in Ukraine, media outlets are also facing growing threats to their funding and economic models in other countries. Georgia’s Transparency of Foreign Influence Law — modeled after Russia’s legislation — has put numerous media organizations at risk. The Georgian Prime Minister welcomed the U.S. president’s decision with approval. 

This suspension is officially expected to last only 90 days, according to the U.S. government. However, some, like Katerina Abramova, communications director for leading exiled Russian media outlet Meduza, fear that the reviews of funding contracts could take much longer. Abramova is anticipating the risk that these funds may be permanently cut off. "Exiled media are even more in a fragile position than others, as we can't monetize our audience and the crowdfunding has its limits  — especially when donating to Meduza is a crime in Russia," Abramova stresses.

By abruptly suspending American aid, the United States has made many media outlets and journalists vulnerable, dealing a significant blow to press freedom. For all the media outlets interviewed by RSF, the priority is to recover and urgently find alternative funding.