An US court has ruled that the practical shutdown of the VOA last year was unlawful and has ordered the return of hundreds of its staff.
Judicial Mandate Issues 7-Day Timeline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Historical Roots and Recent Closure
The VOA was originally set up in World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.
Leadership Changes and Mass Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a small number of employees remaining.
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.
Court’s Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have 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 judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had ignored legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided no a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Response
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against 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.
Unclear Future and Wider Implications
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his wider criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
