A federal judge has declared that the effective shuttering of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has directed the reinstatement of hundreds of its reporters.
Court Order Issues 7-Day Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Roots and Recent Closure
The VOA was originally set up in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had 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.
Management Shake-Up and Mass Dismissals
President Trump named Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—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 even applied to Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Court’s Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the authority to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's ruling, the federal judge described the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction
Three VOA journalists had sued 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 journalism, not propaganda,” she told the Associated Press.
Uncertain Future and Broader Context
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his wider criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
