An US court has ruled that the effective closure of the VOA last year was unlawful and has directed the reinstatement of many of its staff.
Judicial Mandate Issues 7-Day Timeline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Historical Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was originally set up in World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
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 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”.
Management Changes and Widespread Dismissals
President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a small number of employees remaining.
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.
Court’s Rationale and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found 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 ruling, the federal judge described the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had ignored laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Journalists’ Lawsuit and Reaction
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being 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.
Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Context
It is uncertain 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 almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
