A US judge has declared that the practical shuttering of the VOA last year was unlawful and has ordered the return of hundreds of its reporters.
Judicial Mandate Sets One-Week Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally set up during World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials 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 Changes and Mass Dismissals
President Trump named Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake then sack the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a small number of employees in their jobs.
Most of the affected staff have been on paid administrative leave since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Court’s Rationale and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked 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 decision, the judge described 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.
“Defendants have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Response
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was 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 Implications
It is not clear 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 form part of his wider criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
