A US judge has ruled that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has commanded the return of many of its journalists.
Court Mandate Sets 7-Day Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was first created in World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake proceeded to fire over 85 percent of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only 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 Rationale and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have the legal power 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 “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Journalists’ 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 keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she told the Associated Press.
Unclear Next Steps and Wider Implications
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 are part of his broader attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.
