A federal court has declared that the effective closure of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has directed the reinstatement of hundreds of its journalists.
Court Mandate Issues 7-Day Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was originally created in World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political 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”.
Management Changes and Mass Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake then sack over 85 percent of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a handful of employees in their jobs.
Most of the dismissed staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Judge’s Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the legal power to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's decision, the federal judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Reporters’ 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 continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to the Associated Press.
Unclear Next Steps and Broader Context
It is uncertain 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 nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his wider criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
