An US court has ruled that the effective shuttering of the VOA last year was unlawful and has directed the reinstatement of hundreds of its staff.
Court Order Issues 7-Day Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Origins and Recent Closure
The VOA was originally established in World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political 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 Shake-Up and Widespread Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to sack over 85 percent of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number 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 Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the legal power to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's decision, the federal judge described the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had ignored legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided no a reasonable 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 continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to the Associated Press.
Unclear Future and Broader Context
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his wider criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
