An US judge has declared that the practical closure of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has directed the reinstatement of many of its reporters.
Court Mandate Sets One-Week Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Historical Origins and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally set up in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials accused of left-wing bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.
Leadership Shake-Up and Mass Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake then fire over 85 percent 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 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 authority to suspend the operations 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 sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Reporters’ Lawsuit 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 said to reporters.
Uncertain Future and Wider Implications
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his wider attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
