An federal judge has determined that the practical closure of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its journalists.
Judicial Mandate Sets One-Week Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was originally created 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 executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had political bias. The order also included outlets 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 Widespread Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number of employees remaining.
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 Rationale and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have 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 ruling, the judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had ignored legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching 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 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 said to the Associated Press.
Unclear Future and Wider Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated 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 nearly 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
