An federal court has ruled that the practical closure of the VOA last year was unlawful and has ordered the return of hundreds of its staff.
Court Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline
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 first established in World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also targeted networks 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 Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake then fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a handful of employees remaining.
Most of the dismissed 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.
Court’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 this week's decision, the judge described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, 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 reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Response
Three VOA journalists had sued 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 factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told reporters.
Uncertain Future and Wider Context
It is not clear if Lake's nominated 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 nearly 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his wider criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.
