A US court has ruled that the practical closure of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has directed the return of many of its staff.
Judicial Order Issues 7-Day Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Historical Roots and Recent Closure
The VOA was originally created during World War Two with the aim of countering 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 claimed had political bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.
Leadership Shake-Up and Widespread Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a handful of employees remaining.
Most of the dismissed 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 Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's ruling, the federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, 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.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction
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 keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to the Associated Press.
Unclear Next Steps and Wider Context
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his wider attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.
