Court rules Kari Lake illegally fired VOA director Michael Abramowitz
An appeals court upheld protections for Voice of America leadership.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Photograph: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
What this story says
- An appeals court ruled that Kari Lake illegally fired Voice of America director Michael Abramowitz.
- Abramowitz was dismissed in August 2025 after refusing an ultimatum to move to a lower-level post.
- The ruling upholds protections for VOA leadership.
- The decision is seen as a setback for the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the international broadcaster.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 13 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 2 of the 15 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
50/100
Craft
50/100
Hype
45/100
15 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 3 of the 13 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
An appeals court has ruled that Kari Lake illegally fired Michael Abramowitz, the director of Voice of America. The ruling upholds protections for VOA leadership. Abramowitz was dismissed in August 2025 after refusing an ultimatum to move to a lower-level post in North Carolina or be fired. The decision is seen as a setback for the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the international broadcaster.
Disagreement on judicial appointments
The D.C. Circuit panel included judges appointed by Presidents Obama and Biden, according to the Washington Examiner. Alternet stated the unanimous vote came from three judges, naming Sri Srinivasan. Politico reported the D.C. Circuit upheld a lower-court ruling preventing the administration from removing Abramowitz without approval from an independent advisory board.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated digests mentioned the specific judicial appointments to the D.C. Circuit panel. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned the specific judicial appointments to the D.C. Circuit panel. None of the right-rated digests mentioned that Michael Abramowitz was dismissed in August 2025 after refusing an ultimatum to move to a lower-level post.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 11 Nov 2026, 00:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
8 rated outlets
- Six left-rated digests reported that an appeals court ruled Kari Lake illegally fired Voice of America director Michael Abramowitz. These digests stated Abramowitz was dismissed in August 2025 after refusing an ultimatum to move to a lower-level post. The ruling upholds protections for VOA leadership. Joe.My.God., The Wrap, and RAMP - Radio and Music Pros noted the ultimatum involved moving to North Carolina. Alternet and Bloomberg Law framed the decision as a defeat for the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the international broadcaster. Politico mentioned the ruling upheld a lower-court decision requiring approval from an independent advisory board.
Centre
2 rated outlets
- Two centre-rated digests reported that a federal appeals court ruled Kari Lake illegally fired Voice of America director Michael Abramowitz, backing his reinstatement. The Hill stated the court ordered his reinstatement. TV News Check and INTELLINEWS noted the decision marks a continued effort by the Trump administration to dismantle the international broadcaster.
Right
3 rated outlets
- Two right-rated digests reported that an appeals court blocked the U.S. Agency for Global Media from firing the director of the Voice of America. The Washington Examiner stated that Biden and Obama-appointed judges were on the D.C. Circuit panel, which upheld a previous ruling. RedState reported the court blocked the Trump administration from firing the VOA director without Board approval, highlighting separation of powers.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Court rules Kari Lake illegally fired VOA director Michael Abramowitz?
- Of the 13 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 62% are rated left, 15% are rated centre, 23% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 15. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Court rules Kari Lake illegally fired VOA director Michael Abramowitz left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 13 rated outlets on this story, 62% are rated left, 15% are rated centre, 23% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Court rules Kari Lake illegally fired VOA director Michael Abramowitz biased?
- Court rules Kari Lake illegally fired VOA director Michael Abramowitz is one event reported by 15 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Court rules Kari Lake illegally fired VOA director Michael Abramowitz?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Court rules Kari Lake illegally fired VOA director Michael Abramowitz?
- 15 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did the appeals court rule regarding Kari Lake and the Voice of America?
- An appeals court ruled that Kari Lake illegally fired Michael Abramowitz, the director of Voice of America. The decision upholds protections for VOA leadership and is seen as a setback for the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the international broadcaster.
- Why was Michael Abramowitz fired?
- Michael Abramowitz was dismissed in August 2025 after refusing an ultimatum from former agency head Kari Lake. He was given the choice to move to a lower-level post in North Carolina or be fired.
- What is the significance of this ruling?
- The ruling upholds protections for Voice of America leadership. It is also viewed as a setback for the Trump administration's attempts to dismantle the international broadcaster.
Read it at the source
15 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
8- Court: Kari Lake Illegally Fired Voice Of America Head (opens Joe.My.God. in a new tab)
Joe.My.God. — is Joe.My.God. biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Appeals Court Rules Kari Lake Illegally Fired Voice of America Director (opens The Wrap in a new tab)
- Kari Lake loses in US court, rules she illegally fired VOA boss (opens AZCentral in a new tab)
- Kari Lake illegally fired Michael Abramowitz, court says (opens USA Today in a new tab)
- Trump suffers unanimous court defeat over illegal firing of VOA chief (opens Alternet in a new tab)
- Appeals court says VOA director was fired illegally by former head Kari Lake (opens The Washington Post in a new tab)
The Washington Post — is The Washington Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Official Can’t Fire Voice of America Head, US Court Says (opens Bloomberg Law in a new tab)
Bloomberg Law — is Bloomberg Law biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Appeals court blocks Trump administration from ousting Voice of America director (opens Politico in a new tab)
Centre
2Right
3- Democrat Panel Rules in Favor of Fired VOA Director (opens Newsmax in a new tab)
- Court blocks White House from firing Voice of America director (opens Washington Examiner in a new tab)
Washington Examiner — is Washington Examiner biased? Our profile of this outlet
- You're Fired! Not So Fast, Says DC Circuit in Voice of America Showdown (opens RedState in a new tab)
Not rated
2- Appeals Court Says VOA Director Was Fired Illegally By Former Head Kari Lake (opens TV News Check in a new tab)
TV News Check — is TV News Check biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Appeals Court: VOA Director Fired Illegally (opens Radio and Music Pros in a new tab)
Radio and Music Pros — is Radio and Music Pros biased? Our profile of this outlet
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
