A US court has ruled that the effective closure of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has commanded the return of many of its journalists.
Judicial Order Issues One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally created during World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive 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, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Leadership Shake-Up and Widespread Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake then fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a handful of employees in their jobs.
Most of the dismissed 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.
Court’s Rationale and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have the legal power to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's decision, the federal judge described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Journalists’ 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 keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Uncertain Future and Wider Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
