Additional Context: This information comes from the Internews report, "Crisis in Journalism: The Impact of the U.S. Government Funding Cuts on Global Media" published in June 2025. The research was led by Internews Europe in close collaboration with three consortia of media development organizations brought together under the European Commission’s Thematic Framework Partnership Agreement for Human Rights and Democracy. The researchers gathered information through direct interviews and surveys with frontline media partners.

According to Internews, in fiscal year 2024, the U.S. Congress approved $271.5 million in foreign assistance through the US State Department and USAID in the category of “Independent Media and Free Flow of Information.” Of this, an estimated $150 million directly funded journalism and media support, with the remainder supporting the wider information ecosystem and enabling environment through related topics such as freedom of expression, technology policy and digital rights.

Devex Researcher Note: Reporting shows that nearly all USAID programming for journalism and independent media was terminated with a few notable exceptions, including the quiet funding of Cuban media outlets. Confirmation on the severity of cuts to programming from the U.S. Department of State is still pending.

Source: Internews