Trump’s foreign aid freeze disastrous for independent media worldwide
With the Trump administration freezing foreign aid, the survival of many of our partners is at stake, directly impacting independent media worldwide. It leaves people in conflict zones deprived of life saving information, puts the protection of journalists on hold, and gives way to disinformation. This while safeguarding access to reliable information is more important than ever.
The complete impact of the aid freeze is not clear yet, but we do know that at least 268 million dollars of funding allocated to independent media and access to information for this year will be lost. Ruth Kronenburg, Executive Director Free Press Unlimited: “Our long-standing work for press freedom worldwide is in grave danger. The aid freeze is a death blow to many independent media outlets that provide citizens with vital information and keep power in check.”
Progress will be lost
Much of the progress we made in the last 14 years of Free Press Unlimited’s existence is on the line. Many programmes to protect journalists and strengthen press freedom that we have been building and making progress with for years are suddenly put to a halt. We have received dozens of alarming messages from journalists and media partners worldwide, who are left in great uncertainty about their future.
In Bangladesh, where we work on strengthening and protecting media after the regime change in August 2024, the funding freeze greatly threatens the survival of independent media and the protection of journalists. A civil society partner shares: "We are scared. We know independent media and journalists will suffer because activities relating to media development and capacity building of journalists are obstructed. So much progress will be lost. It also directly affects journalist safety because activities relating to safety and protection of journalists have to be downsized."
In Latin America, especially in countries under repressive regimes, much of the work of our over 80 media partners is endangered. The very meaningful counter weight to the regimes’ propaganda and power abuse have suddenly lost most support that enabled them to do so. A member of Free Press Unlimited’s Latin America team shares:
“It is not the first time Latin American journalism suffers serious obstacles, yet it has always demonstrated resilience and maintained high standards of quality. Now we have received alarms from media outlets that they can only operate a few more months until they reach bankruptcy. Journalists who have worked for years to find spaces to exercise press freedom now see their efforts hang by a thread. They need to look for other options to subsist which seriously affects their quality of life and work. This situation generates an additional burden to anxiety and psycho-emotional stress journalists in the region often experience. It also indirectly supports authoritarian regimes and their false narratives in the region."
Free game for disinformation
As Free Press Unlimited, we believe that making reliable information accessible and supporting independent media is the antidote to misinformation and disinformation. After all, well-informed people are much more resilient against this. But the US aid freeze weakens our defense against false narratives. Especially in countries with authoritarian regimes and fragile information systems, independent media are the only ones that still provide citizens with facts.
6 out of 30 of surveyed Belarusian media organisations reported a complete lack of funding due to the current freeze of funds, which may lead to closure due to the inability to pay employees.
In some countries the regimes are so repressive that it is made impossible for independent media to operate within the country. They are forced to leave but continue their work from exile. Like in Belarus, where these media are essential to counter official Belarusian and Kremlin propaganda, providing the audience in Belarus with an opportunity to access truthful information. The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) surveyed 30 major socio-political media outlets and media organisations that currently work for Belarus from exile. 6 out of 30 of the surveyed media outlets and media organisations reported a complete lack of funding due to the current freeze of funds, which may lead to a complete cessation of these outlets due to the inability to pay employees.
Crisis on crisis
Independent media in conflict zones are especially vulnerable, and the funding freeze means a crisis on top of a crisis. Like Radio Dabanga, the only independent radio station still broadcasting in war-ravaged Sudan. They only have funds left to make it through three more months. They have already had to cut the morning broadcasts, resulting in panicked messages from Sudanese families who rely on Dabanga for information. Where can help be obtained? Where is it safe? Access to information can literally save lives.
“We missed Radio Dabanga’s broadcast this morning. We are refugees living in refugee camps in eastern Chad and depend on Radio Dabanga, because we have no access to social media or any other media to follow the developments in Sudan.” - A civilian in Sudan
We see that media in Ukraine and Palestine are also hit hard. After the Russian invasion, Ukrainian media’s business models were weakened, which made them rely heavily on foreign funding to survive. As a result, 9 out of 10 media outlets in Ukraine rely on US funding and are on the verge of collapse.
In Palestine, our partner Wattan Media Network shares: “The situation is disastrous and extremely complicated. We feel like everything is collapsing in Palestine, with journalists also being under attack by the Israeli army and settlers. Now we suddenly lost the salaries of 44 out of 75 journalists working at Wattan. We had to lay off 14 journalists yesterday.”
Wattan Media went through great lengths to secure funding which have now been eliminated, forcing them back to square one in a already challenging year. This set back is very troubling for Wattan Media Network, and for Palestinian citizens who will be deprived of a reliable source of information in extremely difficult times.
“There is a critical need for immediate support for providing essential equipment, safety support and financial support to enable our journalists to continue reporting and producing human-centered content in both the West Bank and Gaza.” - Wattan Media Network
Support independent media
Safeguard press freedom and support independent media
As Free Press Unlimited our aim has always been to help independent media become viable and self-reliant. With many we have come a long way. However, due to the aid freeze we are on the verge of a set back where the progress made will be lost. Many independent media in fragile environments like conflict zones, simply do not have the possibility to work according a business model, not without limiting people’s access to much needed information. For example, because they run into a paywall.
Right now, they need our support to be able to continue on the paths created. We are currently in crisis mode to gather support and raise the funds to fill these gaps and help our partners to survive, in order to safeguard access to independent information. Especially now, we need this to counter power holders like Trump who lead with lies and an ‘each to his own’ mentality.
Ruth Kronenburg: “But we cannot do this alone. Where governments are failing, society must stand up and show that this is not the direction we should be going. Every man for himself is not the way forward. We have to work together and remain in solidarity. We must realise that the brave journalists in repressive countries around the world are our eyes and ears. Now we run the risk that these eyes will close one by one, until we are in the dark about what is going on in the world and authoritarian regimes are legitimised.”
Therefore we call on the international public and private equity to help us support journalists and independent media affected, so they can continue bringing us the facts and maintain these vital media lifelines for people in conflict across the globe.