‘Fight back’: journalist taking Trump administration to court calls for media to resist attacks

The main plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s directive to dismantle Voice of America has stressed the importance of media resistance as the administration escalates its attacks on the press. Patsy Widakuswara, the White House bureau chief for the network, expressed surprise at having to defend press freedom in the U.S. She emphasized the need for more people to push back against the threats facing journalism.

Widakuswara, known for challenging authority figures, has a long history as a journalist. She is leading the fight to save VOA, which Trump has criticized as being biased against him. The executive order signed by Trump in March disrupted the network’s funding through its parent company, the US Agency for Global Media.

Established in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda, Voice of America is a federally funded international broadcasting network that reaches about 350 million people globally in multiple languages. Despite a court injunction against Trump’s order, VOA remains inactive as the legal battle continues.

The lawsuit filed by Widakuswara and her colleagues aims to protect VOA’s objective reporting, which has been crucial in providing information in challenging environments worldwide. She is determined to uphold the network’s mission and fight against attempts to silence it unlawfully.

Widakuswara’s background in journalism in Indonesia during the fall of the Suharto regime has influenced her commitment to holding governments accountable. She believes in the power of resistance to protect press freedom and uphold democratic values.