A federal court has determined that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has directed the return of many of its staff.
Court Order Issues One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was first set up during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Management Changes and Mass Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a small number 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.
Judge’s Rationale and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled 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 Tuesday's decision, the federal judge described the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Journalists’ Lawsuit and Reaction
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 keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to reporters.
Uncertain Next Steps and Wider Context
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Before being wound down, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his broader attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
