A federal judge has declared that the practical closure of the VOA last year was against the law and has directed the return of hundreds of its staff.
Court Mandate Sets 7-Day Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Origins and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was originally created during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had political 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 Changes and Widespread Firings
President Trump appointed 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 over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a handful of employees remaining.
Most of the affected staff have been on leave with pay 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 Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's decision, the judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored 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.
Journalists’ 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 continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Unclear 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 transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his broader attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
