A US judge has declared that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its staff.
Judicial Order Issues One-Week Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Historical Roots and Recent Closure
The VOA was originally set up during World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had left-wing 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 appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake then terminate over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a small number of employees in their jobs.
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 Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked 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 decision, the judge described the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction
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 factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Wider Context
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his broader criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.
