Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. v. United States
Court: U.S. District Court for District of Columbia
Date Filed: April 11, 2025
Background: On March 14, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order gutting the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the federally funded agency that oversees Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Voice of America, and other overseas broadcasters. The order stated that USAGM, which was created by Congress, “shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” Trump administration officials justified dismantling the agency by pointing to disagreements with the networks’ content, which, by statute, is produced independent of political interference.
After the government terminated MBN’s grant, forcing the broadcaster to furlough most of its U.S.-based staff, MBN sued the Trump administration in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit, which alleges that the funding cuts “defy congressional commands and the U.S. Constitution,” asks the district court for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction blocking the administration’s moves from taking effect.
“We are saddened that we need to take this action, but we simply cannot stand by and let America’s voice in the region go silent,” said MBN President and CEO Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin. “Our brave journalists face threats in their work,” Gedmin continued; “they deserve our fullest support — and our audience depends on MBN’s reliable and uniquely responsible reporting.”
Our Position: The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, joined by the Committee to Protect Journalists, filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the district court to grant MBN’s motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.
- The editorial independence of USAGM networks is essential to their credibility, their mission, and the safety of their reporters.
- Allowing the Trump administration to withhold USAGM networks’ funding unilaterally would destroy the independence that makes them effective.
From the Brief: “If not blocked here and now, the funding rescission will cause irreversible damage to MBN’s reputation and its ability to serve its central purpose, even if Congress or a future Administration attempts to revive its vital work.”
Related: The Reporters Committee, joined by CPJ, filed similar friend-of-the-court briefs in four related cases — Abramowitz v. Lake, Widakuswara v. Lake, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty v. Lake, and Radio Free Asia v. United States — urging federal district courts to prevent the shuttering of USAGM networks.
Previously, the Reporters Committee joined a coalition of press freedom and journalism groups led by CPJ in calling on the United States to protect reporters and media workers employed by USAGM, noting in a letter that many of them “face significant personal risk in reporting on and from highly repressive regimes.” The letter added: “Eliminating these organizations is a significant blow to press freedom — and a gift to autocrats worldwide.”
Updates:
- On April 22, 2025, Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia blocked the Trump administration from shutting down Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, finding that the government’s efforts to cut funding and remove staff likely violated several laws and the Constitution. The judge declined to grant similar relief to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty because the outlet is still negotiating an agreement with the Trump administration.