An federal judge has ruled that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has directed the reinstatement of hundreds of its reporters.
Court Order Issues One-Week Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally set up during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials accused of 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 Changes and Widespread Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake then fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a small number of employees in their jobs.
Most of the affected staff have been on leave with pay 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 found that Lake did not have the authority to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In Tuesday'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 dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Journalists’ Lawsuit and Response
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 factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to reporters.
Unclear Future and Wider Context
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in almost 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 highly polarised.
