An US judge has declared that the effective shuttering of the VOA last year was against the law and has ordered the return of hundreds of its staff.
Court Order Issues One-Week Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally created in World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Leadership Changes and Widespread Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake then sack more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a handful of employees remaining.
Most of the dismissed staff have been on paid administrative leave 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 Ruling
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 approved by the US Senate.
In this week'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 no a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Response
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to the Associated Press.
Uncertain Future and Broader Implications
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
