Trump’s foreign aid freeze disrupts global journalism

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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the move, warning that it has left NGOs and media outlets facing severe uncertainty. The organisation has called for international public and private funders to step in and ensure the survival of independent journalism.

Since the US president announced the freeze, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been in turmoil. Its website is inaccessible, its social media accounts suspended, and its headquarters shut, with employees told to stay at home. Elon Musk, whom Trump appointed to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, branded USAID a “criminal organisation” and declared, “We’re shutting down.” Later that day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he had been named acting director of the agency, suggesting its operations would be folded into the State Department.

Journalistic organisations that receive US aid funding have been thrown into chaos. Affected groups include large international NGOs such as the International Fund for Public Interest Media, as well as smaller independent media outlets operating under authoritarian regimes in countries including Iran and Russia.

“A vacuum that favours authoritarianism”

“The freeze on American aid funding is causing havoc in journalism worldwide,” said Clayton Weimers, executive director of RSF US. “The affected programmes support initiatives that strengthen media, transparency and democracy. President Trump justified the freeze by claiming – without evidence – that the ‘foreign aid industry’ does not align with US interests. The tragic irony is that this decision will create a vacuum that benefits propagandists and authoritarian regimes.”

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USAID provides support to independent media in more than 30 countries, but the full extent of the damage caused by the funding freeze remains unclear. Many organisations are reluctant to speak out for fear of jeopardising future funding or attracting political attacks. A USAID fact sheet, now taken offline, stated that in 2023, the agency funded training for 6,200 journalists, assisted 707 independent news outlets, and supported 279 media-sector civil society organisations. The 2025 foreign aid budget included more than $268m to support independent journalism and the free flow of information.

Around the world, media organisations have been forced to suspend operations overnight. A journalist from an exiled Belarusian media outlet, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We have articles scheduled until the end of January, but beyond that, unless we find new funding, we won’t be able to publish.” In Cameroon, the freeze has forced public-interest outlet DataCameroon to halt projects on journalist safety and election coverage. An exiled Iranian news outlet has had to suspend collaboration with its staff for three months and slash salaries to a bare minimum. “If we disappear, Iranian state propaganda will have more control,” an Iranian journalist told RSF.

Ukrainian media on the brink

The impact has been particularly severe in Ukraine, where nine out of ten media outlets rely on subsidies, with USAID the primary donor. Several Ukrainian news organisations have already announced the suspension of activities as they scramble to find alternative funding.

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RSF has already documented how disinformation networks have sought to exploit the crisis. A falsified video circulated online claimed – falsely – that RSF welcomed the suspension of USAID funding for Ukrainian media.

A fragile sector under pressure

The crisis highlights the financial vulnerability of independent media. “The suspension of US funding is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Oleh Dereniuha, editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian local news outlet NikVesti. “Since 2024, securing financial sustainability has become almost impossible.”

Beyond Ukraine, media organisations in other countries are also under growing financial and political pressure. In Georgia, the Transparency of Foreign Influence Law – modelled on Russia’s repressive legislation – has put numerous outlets at risk, with the country’s prime minister openly welcoming the US president’s decision to halt aid.

Officially, the funding freeze is set to last for 90 days. But some, including Katerina Abramova, communications director at the exiled Russian media outlet Meduza, fear that the review of funding contracts could result in permanent cuts. “Exiled media are in an even more fragile position than others,” Abramova said. “We can’t monetise our audience, and crowdfunding has limits – especially when donating to Meduza is a crime in Russia.”