An US judge has determined that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has commanded the reinstatement of many of its staff.
Court Order Sets One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Historical Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was first set up during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials accused of left-wing bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Leadership Shake-Up and Widespread Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other 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 in their jobs.
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.
Court’s Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the legal power to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's ruling, the judge labeled 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 no 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, 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 the Associated Press.
Unclear Next Steps and Broader Context
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 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 highly polarised.
