An US judge has determined that the effective closure of the VOA last year was “illegal” and has ordered the return of many of its journalists.
Judicial Order Issues 7-Day Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Historical Origins and Recent Closure
The VOA was first set up in World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Changes and Mass Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake then terminate more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a handful of employees remaining.
Most of the affected staff have been on leave with pay 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 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 approved by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's ruling, the judge described the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Response
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being profoundly thankful 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 Future and Wider Context
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his wider attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
