An federal judge has declared that the effective shutdown of the VOA last year was “illegal” and has commanded the return of hundreds of its journalists.
Judicial Mandate Sets One-Week Timeline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Historical Roots and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was first set up in World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Management Changes and Mass Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to fire more than 85% of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a small number of employees in their jobs.
Most of the dismissed staff have been on paid administrative leave 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 Ruling
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 ruling, the federal judge described the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government 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, said she was 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 told reporters.
Uncertain Future and Wider Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his wider criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
