Newhouse v. Rigas
Journalists sue to protect VOA's journalism
The case accuses USAGM of using censorship and propaganda at VOA to promote the administration’s point of view.
The courthouse for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
March 23, 2026 • Filed almost exactly one year after the first lawsuit, Newhouse v. USAGM accuses the administration of using VOA to broadcast propaganda. The plaintiffs say USAGM management, in particular Kari Lake, have suppressed coverage of events they did not want reported and turned VOA into a partisan mouthpiece of the administration, including requiring that it publish White House talking points nearly word-for-word.
The lawsuit seeks to protect the integrity of VOA’s programming, which federal law requires to be “accurate, objective, and comprehensive.” The suit argues that the government’s actions violate the laws that govern VOA, violate the First Amendment to the Constitution, and ultimately undermine the credibility of the United States in the eyes of the world.
Recent statement from the plaintiffs
VOA journalists file new lawsuit to protect agency’s journalism
March 23, 2026
Today, we filed a new complaint against USAGM to protect the integrity of VOA programming and fight the government’s unlawful interference in our news reporting.
The integrity of VOA’s content is not just a legal requirement — it is in the national interest. For decades, VOA has represented America’s commitment to freedom of the press to audiences who are denied this right in their own countries. Allowing that legacy to be compromised from within serves no one — least of all the United States.
Through VOA’s journalism, those living in authoritarian societies get a taste of democracy. Without editorial integrity, VOA will be no different than government mouthpieces our audiences already hear in their own countries.
Our complaint, Newhouse v. Rigas, strengthens ongoing cases against USAGM, including Widakuswara v. Lake and Abramowitz v. Lake. We bring this action because we believe it is our duty — and our legal obligation — to defend VOA’s editorial independence and restore its credibility.
— Barry Newhouse, Ayesha Tanzeem, Dong Hyuk Lee and Ksenia Turkova.
About the case
Plaintiffs
- Barry Newhouse, former acting director of VOA’s Central News
- Ayesha Tanzeem, director of VOA's South and Central Asia division
- Dong Hyuk Lee, chief of VOA’s Korean Service
- Ksenia Turkova, contractor with VOA's Russian Service
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
- Pen America
Defendants
- U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM)
- Michael Rigas, acting CEO of USAGM
- Kari Lake, a federal employee
The plaintiffs are represented by:
- Government Accountability Project
- Democracy Defenders Fund
- Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP
- Media Freedom & Information Access Clinic - Yale Law School
Headlines
Voice of America is broadcasting pro-Trump propaganda, lawsuit argues (Pen America, March 24, 2026)- Voice of America journalists sue, saying Trump officials interfered in coverage (The New York Times, March 23, 2026)
- Voice of America staffers sue, alleging Kari Lake put on propaganda (NPR, March 23, 2026)
- Voice of America staff allege Kari Lake violated its independence in lawsuit (The Washington Post, March 23, 2026)
- Voice of America journalists allege Trump wants to make outlet a propaganda source (AP, March 23, 2026)
“Without editorial integrity, VOA will be no different than government mouthpieces our audiences already hear in their own countries.”
— Plaintiffs Barry Newhouse, Ayesha Tanzeem, Dong Hyuk Lee and Ksenia Turkova