A US judge has declared that the effective shutdown of the VOA last year was against the law and has commanded the return of hundreds of its journalists.
Judicial Order Sets 7-Day Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was originally established in World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials accused of 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”.
Management Shake-Up and Mass Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to sack more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—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.
Court’s Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the legal power to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In this week's decision, the federal judge described the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored laws 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.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Response
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against 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 factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to reporters.
Unclear Next Steps and Broader Context
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
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 criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.
