An US court has determined that the practical shuttering of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has commanded the reinstatement of hundreds of its staff.
Judicial Order Issues 7-Day Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally created during World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Leadership Changes and Mass Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body 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 by itself—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 Reasoning and Decision
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 Tuesday's ruling, the judge described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Lawsuit 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 said to the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires 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 studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.
