An federal judge has determined that the effective closure of the VOA last year was against the law and has directed the return of hundreds of its journalists.
Court Mandate Sets One-Week Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was first established during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials accused of 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.
Management Shake-Up and Widespread Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate more than 85% of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a small number of employees in their jobs.
Most of the affected staff have been on paid administrative leave since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Judge’s Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's ruling, the federal judge described the decision to fire 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.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to reporters.
Uncertain Future and Broader Implications
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
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.
