Patsy Widakuswara

Notable work and positions

Voice of America - White House Bureau Chief

Biography

Patsy Widakuswara is an Indonesian-American broadcast journalist who serves as White House Bureau Chief for Voice of America, covering U.S. politics and the presidency since 2019. Born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, she joined VOA in 2003 as a producer and on-air reporter for its Indonesian Service, bringing more than 27 years of broadcast experience across Indonesia, the United Kingdom and the United States. In January 2021 she was briefly removed from the White House beat after questioning then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, drawing condemnation from press-freedom groups, and was reinstated 11 days later. Following a March 2025 executive order to shut down Voice of America, Widakuswara became the lead plaintiff in a successful federal lawsuit, filed with the Government Accountability Project, to restore the network's operations. She holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of Indonesia and a master's in journalism from Goldsmiths College, University of London.