An federal court has declared that the practical shuttering of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its journalists.
Judicial Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally established during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials accused of left-wing bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to 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 oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only 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.
Court’s Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the legal power 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 labeled the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge 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 Context
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted 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 studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.