Recent reporting by journalists Sayer Ji, Michael Shellenberger and Alex Gutentag, and Lee Fang have linked USAID funding to the smearing and censoring of U.S. and global independent journalists and media platforms.

by Brenda Baletti, Ph.D.

This article was originally published by The Defender — Children’s Health Defense’s News & Views Website.

As the Trump administration began reorganizing and cutting major funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), revelations emerged that the organization financed groups, including some media outlets, engaged in smear campaigns and censorship against dissident voices.