A federal court has declared that the effective shuttering of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has directed the reinstatement of many of its journalists.
Court Mandate Issues One-Week Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Origins and Recent Closure
The VOA was first created during World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials accused of left-wing bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Management Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake proceeded to fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a small number 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.
Court’s Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's ruling, the federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Journalists’ Lawsuit and Response
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being deeply grateful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his wider attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
