A US court has declared that the practical closure of the VOA last year was “illegal” and has commanded the return of many of its journalists.
Court Mandate Issues 7-Day Timeline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally established during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.
Leadership Changes and Mass Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to sack more than 85% of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a handful of employees remaining.
Most of the affected 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 Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the authority to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's ruling, the judge described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Response
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 factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to reporters.
Unclear Next Steps and Broader Implications
It is not clear if Lake's nominated 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 almost 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his wider attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
