A US court has declared that the practical closure of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has ordered the return of hundreds of its journalists.
Court Order Issues 7-Day Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally set up in World War Two to counter 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 administration accused of left-wing bias. The order also included outlets 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 Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a handful of employees remaining.
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.
Judge’s Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In this week's decision, the federal judge described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a reasonable 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 keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she told reporters.
Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
