Al Hurra Slashes Staff After U.S. Funding Freeze \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Al Hurra, the U.S.-funded Arabic news outlet, has terminated most staff amid a funding freeze. CEO Jeffrey Gedmin blamed the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s agency restructuring. The cuts mark a major blow to U.S. media presence in the Middle East.
Quick Looks
- Al Hurra terminates most staff and scales back TV programming amid financial crisis.
- CEO Jeffrey Gedmin blames Trump administration and Elon Musk’s agency reforms for defunding.
- 30 million viewers across the Middle East and North Africa are affected.
- Kari Lake, appointee to U.S. Agency for Global Media, allegedly refused dialogue with leadership.
- Funding freeze part of broader congressional budget impasse tied to global media services.
- Al Hurra joins Voice of America, RFE/RL, Radio Free Asia, all impacted by similar cuts.
- Created in 2003 during the Bush administration, Al Hurra has covered wars, revolutions, and political upheaval.
- Journalists in Dubai and across the network received termination emails this weekend.
- Only a few dozen employees remain, pending court outcomes and appeals.
- Critics warn this undermines U.S. soft power and press freedom in authoritarian regions.
Deep Look
The last major American-backed Arabic news outlet broadcasting into the Middle East is in crisis.
On Saturday, Al Hurra, a flagship U.S.-funded TV and digital media operation, announced mass layoffs and severe cuts to programming, blaming the Trump administration and what its CEO called a “deliberate, unlawful” freeze of its congressionally approved budget.
The move marks a critical moment for American public diplomacy abroad. For more than two decades, Al Hurra has provided independent, uncensored news to millions in the Middle East and North Africa, serving as a key soft-power tool against authoritarian regimes. Now, that voice is going dark.
A Network Gutted Overnight
In a sharply worded letter to staff, CEO Jeffrey Gedmin said he had “no choice” but to let most of the network go. He cited repeated attempts to engage with Kari Lake, President Trump’s appointee overseeing the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which controls Al Hurra’s funding.
Gedmin accused Lake of stonewalling communication, calling her silence “a deliberate effort to starve us of the money we need to pay you.”
Emails were reportedly sent to staff at both Al Hurra’s television and digital operations, including its newsroom in Dubai, informing them that their contracts were terminated effective immediately.
“It makes no sense to silence America’s voice in the Middle East,” Gedmin wrote.
A few dozen employees will remain on board to maintain a minimal online presence, as the network awaits the results of pending legal challenges over the funding freeze.
Collateral Damage of a Broader Political Battle
Al Hurra isn’t alone. Other U.S.-funded international media networks — Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia — have also been impacted by a wave of withheld appropriations.
At the center of the dispute is the Trump administration’s attempt to “reform” government-funded media, an effort championed by both President Trump and Elon Musk, whose recently created Department of Government Efficiency has played a role in reviewing the budget of USAGM.
Kari Lake, who has described USAGM as a “rotting institution,” has publicly advocated for the dismantling and rebuilding of the agency — starting with a reset of its leadership and strategic direction. Critics say this restructuring has choked essential funding and crippled operations, without a viable replacement strategy.
The White House has yet to comment on the latest fallout.
From Cold War Strategy to Modern-Day Silencing
Al Hurra, launched in 2003 by the George W. Bush administration, was part of a post-9/11 strategy to provide independent, U.S.-funded Arabic-language news to counter extremism and anti-American propaganda. It has covered everything from the U.S. invasion of Iraq to the Arab Spring, offering alternative narratives to those in state-controlled media environments.
Though the network faced occasional criticism in the U.S. for alleged bias, it remained one of the only uncensored platforms in the region promoting freedom of the press and open dialogue.
“We lost friends covering conflict. Some of our journalists died doing this work,” said one former producer, referencing past coverage in Iraq, Egypt, and Syria.
Journalists Caught in Political Crossfire
In Dubai, longtime Al Hurra journalist Mohamed al-Sabagh confirmed that termination emails had gone out across departments.
For hundreds of Arabic-speaking journalists, producers, and editors — many of whom fled restrictive regimes for careers in U.S.-backed media — the sudden layoffs are devastating.
And beyond the human cost, media observers say this is a strategic failure for U.S. foreign policy.
“With this cut, the U.S. is voluntarily surrendering one of its few remaining levers of influence in the Middle East,” said an analyst at the Center for Public Diplomacy.
What’s Next for Al Hurra?
Gedmin says the organization will maintain a “barebones digital presence” as court battles unfold. Legal teams are expected to challenge the constitutionality of the funding blockade, citing Congressional authorization.
But even if funding is restored, insiders warn that rebuilding staff, credibility, and regional reach could take years.
For now, 30 million viewers in the Middle East and North Africa may have seen their final broadcast from one of the only non-state Arabic news outlets with a U.S. perspective.
Al Hurra Slashes Al Hurra Slashes
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