US State Department orders pause on media subscriptions
Trump administration measures reportedly impact major outlets including the Economist, The New York Times and Politico
The US State Department said on Thursday it had ordered a pause on all of its media subscriptions as part of government-wide efforts by the Trump administration to cut spending it deemed as unnecessary.
US President Donald Trump has put tech billionaire Elon Musk in charge of a government downsizing team, Doge, that has swept through federal agencies searching for spending cuts as part of Trump’s overhaul and shrinking of the US government.
“The Department has paused all non-mission critical contracts for media subscriptions that are not academic or professional journals,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Reuters.
“Bureaus and posts can request an exemption with justification as to why the access is mission critical, how it aligns with the Secretary’s priorities, and how it impacts the safety, security, and welfare of the workforce.” The State Department did not say how long the pause would last.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said all government spending must align with Trump’s America First priorities.
The Washington Post, which first reported the order on media subscriptions on Wednesday, also cited a State Department memo that directed staff to prioritise the termination of contracts with the Economist, The New York Times, Politico, Bloomberg News, the Associated Press and Reuters.