A US judge has ruled that the effective shuttering of the VOA last year was unlawful and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its reporters.
Court Mandate Sets 7-Day Deadline
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 during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Shake-Up and Mass Firings
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 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 leave with pay since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Judge’s Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have the legal power to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's decision, the federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored laws that determine 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 keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Context
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated 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 attacks of the VOA are part of his wider criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
