An US court has determined that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has directed the return of hundreds of its journalists.
Judicial Order Sets One-Week Deadline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Historical Origins and Recent Closure
The VOA was first established during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials accused of left-wing 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 named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake then fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a small number of employees in their jobs.
Most of the affected 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 Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have 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 labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that determine 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 Reaction
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being deeply grateful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to the Associated Press.
Unclear Next Steps and Wider Implications
It is uncertain 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 criticisms of the VOA are part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
