A US judge has determined that the practical shuttering of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has directed the return of many of its reporters.
Judicial Order Sets One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Wartime Roots and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was first established during World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order 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 phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to sack the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 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 even applied to Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Judge’s Rationale and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have 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 federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Reaction
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was 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 reporters.
Unclear Next Steps and Broader Context
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Before being wound down, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his wider attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
