An US court has declared that the practical closure of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has directed the return of many of its journalists.
Judicial Order Issues 7-Day Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was originally established during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his administration accused of political bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.
Leadership Shake-Up 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 related networks.
Lake proceeded to sack 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 included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Judge’s Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the legal power to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's ruling, the judge described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Response
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 journalism, not propaganda,” she told the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Wider Context
It is uncertain 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 studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
