An US court has ruled that the effective closure of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has commanded the return of many of its staff.
Judicial Mandate Sets 7-Day Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was originally set up in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had left-wing bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Changes and Mass Dismissals
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 then sack the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number of employees remaining.
Most of the affected 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 not taken into account laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Reaction
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 told the Associated Press.
Unclear Future and Wider Context
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
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 attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
