An US court has ruled that the practical shuttering of the VOA last year was unlawful and has commanded the return of hundreds of its reporters.
Judicial Mandate Sets One-Week Timeline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Historical Origins and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally set up during World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration accused of political bias. The order also included networks 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 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 related networks.
Lake then sack the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a handful of employees remaining.
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 found that Lake did not have 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 ruling, the federal judge described the decision to fire 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.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being deeply grateful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told reporters.
Unclear Future and Broader Implications
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted 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 research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
