An US court has declared that the practical shutdown of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has directed the reinstatement of many of its staff.
Judicial Mandate Issues 7-Day Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Origins and Recent Closure
The VOA was originally established during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.
Leadership Changes and Mass Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to fire more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number of employees remaining.
Most of the dismissed staff have been on paid administrative leave since last year. This even applied to Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Court’s Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the legal power to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's ruling, the judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Response
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was deeply grateful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Unclear Future and Broader Context
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his wider criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
