The Trump administration’s reshaping of American democracy extends to the media landscape, with actions echoing a conservative blueprint known as Project 2025. A year into his second term, the president has enacted measures that, according to the columbia Journalism Review, align closely with nearly all recommendations from the Heritage Foundation’s roadmap.This shift is raising concerns about the future of a free press in the United States.
The changes are already being felt. Funding for the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees outlets like Voice of America serving audiences in authoritarian countries, has been eliminated. Journalists from the Associated Press faced restricted access to the White House, and nearly 8,000 government web pages containing vital public details on topics like health and crime were taken offline. Around sixty journalists were denied access to the Pentagon for refusing to adhere to official messaging, and in October, a Salvadoran journalist covering migration issues for 22 years was expelled from the country. These actions have prompted Reporters Without Borders to warn of a potential slide toward authoritarianism.
A Chilling Effect on Journalism
The recent actions taken by the administration are creating a climate of fear and uncertainty for journalists across the country.
- The administration’s actions are directly inspired by the Project 2025 conservative roadmap.
- Funding cuts and access restrictions are impacting both domestic and international journalism.
- Journalists are facing increasing pressure to conform to official narratives.
- Concerns are growing about the erosion of press freedom in the U.S.
Patsy Widakuswara, Indonesian-American journalist and White House bureau chief for Voice of America, described the abruptness of the changes. “The executive order that aimed to dismantle Voice of America was signed on Friday March 14, 2025. The next day, we all received an email saying: “Stop working, go home.” Everything stopped abruptly. It created real chaos, especially for our partners abroad. We were no longer able to provide programs to our various stations. Listeners from all over the world were calling to find out if there had been a coup. As that day, I have not been able to set foot in the White House. We have been silenced.”
despite the setbacks, Widakuswara and a colleague initiated legal action, and courts have issued rulings in their favor, temporarily suspending the dismissal of contract workers and ordering the resumption of VOA activities. However, she laments, “VOA had hundreds of journalists, technicians, section directors… Everything that made it possible to hold a huge machine like ours. Today, none of that works. We no longer have the means to do journalism. I don’t know if we can rebuild what voice of America was, but I still have hope because the legacy of this radio station is enormous for freedom of the press and for American influence in the world. I’ve always been a journalist, it’s a big part of my identity, but today I’m forced to become a press freedom activist.”
Restricted Access at the Pentagon
Tom Bowman, american journalist and Pentagon correspondent for National Public radio (NPR), recounted a similar experiance. “Journalists have been at the heart of the Pentagon since the 1940s. There have often been discussions about limiting our access or keeping us out, but no one ever thought it would happen one day.”
In February 2025, less than a month after the president’s return to office, Bowman was removed from his Pentagon office and reassigned alongside journalists from breitbart News,
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