Trump Appointee Might Not Extend Visas for Foreign Journalists at V.O.A.

WASHINGTON — As many as 100 foreign citizens working in the United States as journalists for the Voice of America, a government-funded news outlet, might not have their visas extended once they expire, according to people familiar with the planning.

Michael Pack, the new chief executive for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, has indicated he may not approve extensions for any journalist holding a J-1 visa, which allows foreign citizens to temporarily work in the United States in ways that promote cultural exchanges.

The decision could be a blow to the news-gathering and global-broadcasting abilities of the V.O.A., which operates independently but is funded by the government. Foreign journalists on the specialty visa are often recruited to work there because they are able to translate American news reports into difficult languages like Swahili or Mandarin and can do reporting using those languages.

“J-1 visas are a crucial tool for management to get the talent that is needed to run a complex multilingual news organization,” said David Ensor, a former director for the Voice of America. “That’s what V.O.A. is.”