An US court has determined that the effective closure of the VOA last year was against the law and has commanded the return of hundreds of its staff.
Judicial Mandate Sets One-Week Timeline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Trump-Era 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 executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had left-wing bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to 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 fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—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 Rationale and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's decision, the judge labeled the decision to fire 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 nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ 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 reporters.
Unclear Next Steps and Broader Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his wider attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
