An US judge has ruled that the practical closure of the VOA last year was unlawful and has commanded the reinstatement of hundreds of its staff.
Judicial Mandate Issues 7-Day Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Historical Roots and Recent Closure
The VOA was first set up during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Shake-Up and Mass Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake then terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a handful 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 Rationale and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In this week's ruling, the federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against 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 said to the Associated Press.
Uncertain Future and Broader Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted 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.
