A US court has determined that the practical shutdown of the VOA last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its journalists.
Judicial Order Issues 7-Day Timeline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Roots and Recent Closure
The VOA was first created during World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had left-wing bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.
Leadership Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals
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 terminate over 85 percent of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a small number of employees in their jobs.
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.
Court’s Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have the legal power to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's decision, the judge described the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Journalists’ 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 keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told reporters.
Unclear Next Steps and Broader 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 almost 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his wider attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
