Press Freedom Report: April 4, 2025

United States

• Funding Freeze at U.S. Government-Funded Media Deepens Crisis
  The Trump administration’s decision to halt funding to outlets under the U.S. Agency for Global Media—including Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Europe—has left thousands of journalists in limbo. Staff at these agencies have reported canceled assignments, withheld pay, and access restrictions to government email and facilities. This signals not just administrative restructuring but a deliberate effort to destabilize U.S. international broadcasting at a time of heightened global disinformation.

• Union Response Signals Legal Escalation
  Media unions representing the affected journalists have publicly denounced the freeze and are preparing legal action, arguing that the suspension violates federal labor laws and constitutional protections for a free press. The coordinated response suggests that the issue may escalate to broader constitutional litigation, raising questions about executive authority over independent media.

Russia

• Independent Journalists Sentenced for “Extremist” Reporting
  A Russian court sentenced two regional journalists to lengthy prison terms for allegedly spreading extremist propaganda through their reporting on anti-war protests. The journalists deny all charges, stating they were documenting events and interviewing participants. This case continues a broader trend in Russia of using vague extremism laws to suppress independent reporting and silence criticism of government policy, particularly related to the war in Ukraine.