Recent efforts by the Trump administration to defund and shut down international news organizations like Voice of America have hit some roadblocks this past week.
On Friday, a Manhattan federal judge temporarily blocked the White House from silencing VOA, according to a blog post by legal news service Law360.
After a morning hearing, U.S. District Court Judge J. Paul Oetken issued a temporary restraining order saying the funding cut by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, VOA’s parent company, was a “classic case of arbitrary policymaking.”
A group including six VOA journalists filed a federal lawsuit on March 21 to halt the cuts by USAGM, which is the federal agency overseeing all U.S. civilian international media. The plaintiffs in their suit cited the “lawlessness and discriminatory animus” of USAGM’s actions as reason for the court’s needed intervention.
The VOA employees, which includes VOA’s White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara, specifically named Victor Morales, CEO of USAGM, and the government agency’s special advisor, Kari Lake, in their suit. They also cited President Trump’s longtime displeasure with the news coverage disseminated by USAGM networks worldwide.
[Related: “‘Rather Brash’: Jeff White on the USAGM Shutdowns”]
VOA Director Michael Abramowitz also sued the Trump administration in different jurisdictions and asked the court to halt the dismantling of the government-funded media outlet. Abramowitz said it was unlawful to deny VOA its congressionally-appropriated funds.
The president’s executive order in mid-March that cut off funding from USAGM effectively shuttered VOA’s operations. As a result, more than 1,300 journalists and producers were placed on administrative leave.
VOA content is produced in 49 languages and is broadcast on satellite, FM, AM and shortwave. The news service broadcasts more than 2,300 hours of radio and television programming each week, reaching a measured global audience of 354 million people, according to its website. It also reaches audiences via the web and social media platforms.
VOA, which has been in operation for 83 years, has been accused by the Trump administration of broadcasting taxpayer-funded “radical propaganda.” The defunding was part of a larger effort by the White House to cut government spending on international news media through a series of executive orders.
Earlier this week, a different federal judge issued a restraining order to halt the freezing of funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). However, in the case of RFE/RL, the Trump administration restored the funding for fiscal year 2025 on Thursday.
[Related: “RFE/RL Back in Business“]
Meanwhile, yet another independent international news organization is asking a court to bar the termination of its funding. Radio Free Asia (RFA) filed a lawsuit Thursday in district court saying USAGM does not have the authority to withhold appropriated funds.
According to the latest suit, Congress directed that USAGM provide RFA its appropriated funds via grant agreements. USAGM has nevertheless refused to grant or disburse the appropriated funds on the basis that the grant “no longer effectuates agency priorities.”
“(However), Congress did not give USAGM discretion to unilaterally withhold RFA’s congressionally appropriated funds,” RFA says in the court filing.
A USAGM spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the recent developments.
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