A federal court has declared that the effective shuttering of the VOA last year was “illegal” and has directed the return of many of its staff.
Court Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Recent Closure
The VOA was first established during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration accused of left-wing bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Management Shake-Up and Widespread Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake then sack the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just 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.
Judge’s Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the authority to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In this week's ruling, the judge labeled 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 principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Response
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 continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told reporters.
Uncertain Future and Broader Implications
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
