A federal judge has ruled that the practical shuttering of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of its staff.
Court Order Sets One-Week Timeline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Roots and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was originally established during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his administration accused of political bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Changes and Widespread Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake then terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a small number of employees remaining.
Most of the affected staff have been on paid administrative leave 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 lacked 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 ruling, the federal judge described the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Reaction
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 keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to reporters.
Uncertain Next Steps and Wider Context
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his wider criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
