A US court has ruled that the practical shutdown of the VOA last year was against the law and has directed the reinstatement of many of its journalists.
Judicial Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally established during World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials 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.
Management Changes and Mass Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake then terminate more than 85% of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a handful of employees in their jobs.
Most of the dismissed staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This included 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 did not have 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 judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against 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 the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Before being wound down, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his wider criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
