A federal court has declared that the practical shutdown of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has directed the reinstatement of many of its reporters.
Judicial Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was first established during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to shut down the broadcaster, which his administration accused of political bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Management Changes and Widespread Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a handful of employees in their jobs.
Most of the affected 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 Rationale 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 decision, the federal judge labeled the decision to fire 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 nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Reaction
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being 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 the Associated Press.
Uncertain Future and Wider Context
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Before being wound down, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
