First, you pass through the armored door. Then, your bag goes through explosives and metal detectors. Next, your ID card is checked twice, by two different guards. Radio Free Europe's (RFE) headquarters, in Prague, follow the same security standards for visitor entry as American embassies, giving you the impression that you're penetrating a fortress. In the lobby, a memorial to the 19 journalists who have been killed since the American media outlet was created in 1950 – three of whom have died since 2020 – immediately justifies all the precautions.

"Sorry, it's so depressing right now, the place is half empty," said Alsu Kurmasheva. The journalist, who has Tatar origins – a Russian ethnic minority – and is also an American citizen, spent nine months in Russian prisons between 2023 and 2024 on trumped-up charges. Despite this, her first words were not about her detention, or even about the four other RFE journalists who are still imprisoned around the world. For her, the most urgent matter was the existential crisis her media outlet is undergoing, which has led to part of its editorial staff having their hours reduced.

On Monday, March 14, United States President Donald Trump classified American international broadcasting as being among the activities maintained by "useless bureaucrats." The following day, Kari Lake, the new senior advisor appointed to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), decided to shut down the various media outlets she oversaw in that role: "This agency is not salvageable." Voice of America (VOA) – a media network that fell under the USAGM's purview and broadcast around the world in nearly 50 languages – had its programs immediately canceled and staff placed on administrative leave. Legal actions against the changes are underway. Middle East Broadcasting Networks, which ran Arabic-language television channels, as well as podcasts and five websites about the Middle East, announced a major wave of layoffs on April 12. Radio Free Asia, which used to air programs in nine languages (Vietnamese, Burmese, Khmer, etc.), has practically stopped broadcasting.

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