A US judge has determined that the effective shuttering of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has ordered the return 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.
Historical Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was first established in World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to shut down the broadcaster, which his administration accused of left-wing 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”.
Management Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake proceeded to fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 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 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 Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked 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 sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had ignored laws that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Response
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was deeply grateful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she told the Associated Press.
Unclear Future and Broader Context
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his wider attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
