Voice of America and Radio Farda's Persian services cover the Israel-Iran conflict despite cutbacks

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Source: AP

Updated 10:15 AM EDT, June 19, 2025


In the early days of Israel’s attack on Iran, U.S.-operated Radio Farda, which broadcasts in the Persian language in Iran, debunked a state media report that an Israeli pilot had been shot down and captured. Its journalism has continued despite the Trump administration’s threat to its future, along with a Persian-language television outlet run by Voice of America.

Radio Farda, a branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and based in Prague, has continued broadcasting even though its managing editor estimated that more than half of its staff had been furloughed. VOA’s Persian staff, ordered to go on administrative leave in March, was suddenly ordered back to work Friday afternoon. “We’ve been giving information to Iranians minute by minute about the conflict,” said Golnaz Esfandiari, managing editor of Radio Farda. That includes explanatory stories about Iran’s nuclear program and short videos posted on social media, she said.

Several Iranians have contacted the radio network to express appreciation for reporting that they do not get on Iranian state media, she said. Traffic to its website was up 77% on Friday compared with the 30-day average. At the same time, families in Iran of five Radio Farda staff members have been pressured by people in the government who want to see the broadcasts stopped, she said.

Through the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the Trump administration has sought to dismantle or sharply curtail the government-funded outlets that provide news reports to countries where there isn’t a tradition of free press. The administration says these services operate with a liberal bias. Both Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty are fighting the efforts in court.

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