An federal judge has declared that the practical closure of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of its reporters.
Judicial Mandate Sets 7-Day Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Historical Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was first set up during World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Leadership Changes and Widespread Dismissals
President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake then sack over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a handful of employees remaining.
Most of the affected 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 Rationale and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found 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 decision, the federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, 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 principled 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, expressed being profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to reporters.
Unclear Next Steps and Wider Context
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires 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 wider attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
