Join us as Daniel Sabet from the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University presents findings from new research examining the consequences of terminating US foreign assistance to independent media in early 2025. Drawing on a global survey of 177 media organizations and extensive interviews, this session reveals how the sudden withdrawal of the world's largest media donor, representing up to $258 million annually has devastated newsrooms worldwide. While the financial impacts have been substantial, the loss of political and diplomatic support for a free press has been more significant. In fact, the US is best understood as having “switched sides” in supporting independent media and in combatting disinformation. The discussion will explore what this means for democracy, governance, and US soft power globally, and whether and how other donors could fill the critical gap.