A group of six journalists from Voice of America (VOA) has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and other officials, accusing them of unlawfully shutting down public-funded media organizations. The lawsuit, filed on March 21 in New York, claims the Trump administration took a harsh stance against the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) with an executive order issued just a week earlier, reports RFE.
Hours after the order, VOA staff were placed on administrative leave, and the media organization’s buildings were shut down. Observers have expressed concern that this decision to halt VOA and other state-funded broadcasters’ operations would embolden authoritarian regimes worldwide, cutting off a critical line of information for their populations.
The lawsuit argues that the closure of VOA and its sister outlets violates constitutional rights related to free speech and media freedom. USAGM’s acting director, Victor Morales, and special adviser Kari Lake are named in the suit, which calls for the reinstatement of funding to media organizations like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Network.
The plaintiffs also demand the court reverse the shutdown of USAGM and the cessation of news and opinion gathering and distribution. This legal action has drawn support from various media watchdogs and unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees and Reporters Without Borders.
David Seide, a senior advisor at the Government Accountability Project representing the VOA journalists, called the move a “tragic assault on democracy,” pointing out that VOA has reached over 400 million viewers, listeners, and readers for over eight decades.
In response to the lawsuit, Kari Lake, a vocal Trump supporter, dismissed interview requests from media outlets like The Washington Post and NPR, asserting she would not engage with “questionable media.”
Many Republicans, including Trump and Lake, have claimed that VOA and similar broadcasters are infected with left-wing propaganda, a charge denied by the outlets’ leadership.
Meanwhile, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has also filed a lawsuit against USAGM, challenging the federal funding cuts.
