A US court has declared that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has directed the reinstatement of many of its staff.
Court Mandate Sets One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was first established in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Management Changes and Mass Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to sack over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a small number of employees in their jobs.
Most of the dismissed 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 Rationale 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 this week's decision, the federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored 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.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Reaction
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 continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she told the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Wider Context
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 criticisms of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
