An US judge has determined that the practical shutdown of the VOA last year was “illegal” and has directed the return of hundreds of its journalists.
Court Mandate Issues One-Week Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Historical Roots and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was originally created in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his administration accused of left-wing bias. The order also included networks 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 Widespread Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake then fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a handful of employees in their jobs.
Most of the dismissed 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.
Judge’s Rationale and Decision
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 judge labeled 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.
“Defendants have provided no 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 keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she told reporters.
Unclear Next Steps and Wider Implications
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
