Only Autocrats Celebrate the Demise of RFE/RL
The Blinken OSA Archivum, which preserves the Records of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Research Institute, is deeply troubled by President Trump’s cutting of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s funding, and remains committed to working with the news organization.
On March 14, 2025, US President Donald Trump eliminated the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) “to the maximum extent,” thus cutting the federal grants of institutions such as Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia, and, importantly, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). (In February, Elon Musk posted on X about shutting down VOA and RFE/RL.)
The Blinken OSA Archivum preserves the historical archives of RFE/RL’s Research Institute, a media monitoring and analysis collection created at RFE/RL between 1949 and 1994, containing lessons on propaganda and Cold War journalistic practices, and evidence on state oppression. Deeply troubled by this development, we share RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus’ understanding, that only “autocrats . . . would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years.”
As a pro bono legal team fights for RFE/RL to be able to continue its mission, and EU foreign ministers discuss providing funding for the news organization, we are committed to working together with its Prague headquarters and Budapest editorial office to secure their digital archives.
