In Central and South America, U.S. funding that supported reporting on organized crime and government corruption exposed media and civil society staff to significant safety and legal risks. Following the funding cuts, disinformation campaigns emerged in several countries, portraying international support as foreign interference putting journalists and activists at risk.

Date: 6/25

Region: Global

Country: Global

Topic: Governance & Rights

Policy Lens: Democracy & Governance

Entry Type: Secondary Effect

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.

Source: Internews