Voice Of America Reels: Staff Put On Leave, Transmissions Shut, And Lawsuit Alleges Loss Of Independence

Voice of America (VOA) — long regarded as a leading American international broadcaster — has been dramatically reduced after a series of moves by the Trump administration and appointee Kari Lake, according to a New Yorker investigation.

What Changed

Since President Trump returned to office, he signed an executive order that cut VOA's parent agency back to the legally required minimum and removed six of the seven members of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board, which approves the VOA director. Trump then named former TV anchor Kari Lake to oversee U.S. international broadcasting despite questions about legal limits on her appointment.

Lake moved to implement the administration's staffing changes: more than 1,042 of VOA's 1,147 employees were placed on paid administrative leave, including several dozen from the Persian Service. The lease for a planned new headquarters was canceled, and workers at transmission sites were instructed to power down equipment — actions staff say effectively silenced VOA for the first time in its 83-year history.

Editorial Control And Human Impact

Employees who remained report increased editorial oversight. The Persian Service, for example, must now obtain approval for all guest appearances — live, pre-recorded, or soundbites — from Ali Javanmardi, an appointee of Lake. Former staffers say the change has had severe professional and personal consequences, including loss of visas for some foreign employees.

"Nothing exists anymore. Our identity was gone in one single second. It was a sudden questioning of my value. Who am I without all of this?"

"You've come to this country to say things you can't say at home. Then, all of a sudden, you lose your visa, and you're told you have to go back," said Jessica Jerreat, who ran VOA's press-freedom desk.

Legal Fight

A group of former VOA journalists filed a lawsuit in March, alleging the broadcaster increasingly echoed White House talking points and downplayed stories the administration preferred to avoid. The plaintiffs argued that without editorial independence, VOA risks becoming indistinguishable from government mouthpieces heard in authoritarian countries.

In March, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered the administration to reinstate more than 1,000 employees, finding Lake lacked the legal authority to place them on leave because she had not been confirmed by the Senate. A federal appeals court has stayed the portion of Lamberth's order that would require employees to return to work while the government appeals.

The New Yorker investigation and the ongoing litigation highlight tensions between VOA's statutory mission to provide independent journalism abroad and recent policy changes that critics say undermine that mission.