An US court has declared that the effective closure of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has commanded the return of hundreds of its reporters.
Court Mandate Sets 7-Day Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Historical Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was originally established during World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had left-wing bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.
Leadership Shake-Up and Mass Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake then sack more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a handful of employees in their jobs.
Most of the affected staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This even applied to Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Judge’s Rationale and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the authority to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's decision, the federal judge described the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Journalists’ Lawsuit and Reaction
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against 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 journalism, not propaganda,” she said to the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
