A federal judge has ruled that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has directed the reinstatement of hundreds of its journalists.
Court Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Historical Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was originally established during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Leadership Shake-Up and Widespread Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake then fire more than 85% of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a small number of employees remaining.
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.
Judge’s Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have 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 judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Response
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was profoundly thankful 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 reporters.
Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications
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 almost 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his broader attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
