A US judge has declared that the effective closure of the VOA last year was against the law and has directed the reinstatement of many of its journalists.
Judicial Mandate Issues 7-Day Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally established in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Leadership Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals
President Trump named Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 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 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 lacked the authority to order the suspension 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 fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had ignored legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Response
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being deeply grateful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Wider Context
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Before being wound down, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his wider attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
