An US judge has determined that the effective shuttering of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has ordered the return of many of its reporters.
Judicial Mandate Issues One-Week Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was originally set up in World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also targeted outlets 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 parent company that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake then fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only 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 Rationale and Decision
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 Tuesday's ruling, the judge described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Journalists’ Lawsuit 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 factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Unclear Next Steps and Wider Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his wider criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
